Frozen Powers III - For the Sunrise
by Sophisticated Grace
Summary: [KristoffxAnna] [ElsaxOC] [HansxOC] - Six years after Dawn's death, the Southern Isles have finally re-appeared, and are prepared for war. This will be like nothing they've ever known - this time, they are fighting for Dawn; for Anna's little sunrise. [Warning: lots of dark scenes!] [Updated every Friday!] R&R
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, this is going to be the last book in the Frozen Powers series (after a year, it's become a part of my life and it breaks my heart to think it'll be over). I hope that my writing skills have improved since I first began the series - back when Frozen Powers wasn't actually intended to be a series! - so I also hope that this will be a satisfying finale, and that you will enjoy it!**

**Now, let's begin... **

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><p>Young Princess Mia of Arendelle was the perfect example of what a royal of the time was expected to be: with her long, platinum blonde hair pulled up into a braided bun at the back of her head, her pale skin flawless and her large, bright blue eyes of equal colour to her magic, framed by large, thick black eyelashes, she was truly an image of beauty, though she was not one to brag about such things. After her haunted second year of life, she'd lost a large amount of her cheerful and carefree nature - including the traits which would have made her a little less modest - which she had possessed before, instead acting more seriously than she otherwise would have been, though she did still enjoy a little happy play from time to time. However, she was still a sweet girl; now aged eight years old, her birthday having been one week before, it had been just over six years since her brutal treatment as toddler, in the place she'd always known simply as "the caves".<p>

Even after those years, though the memories were fuzzy and blurred, she still awoke in a sweat, panting, from time to time, the distinctive pair of cold eyes always the last thing she saw when she awoke from a nightmare. She tried to block it out, tried to convince herself it wasn't real, even, but there was nothing for it; the small scars covering her back and sides, born from the harsh gashes of the slash of a rough, slicing whip on a toddler's delicate skin were evidence enough.

But today, Mia wasn't feeling any of the primal fear that she sometimes awoke with, nor the over-powering commands of instinct throughout the day which accompanied this. No, today, she was simply feeling contented - excited, almost, although seeing people she hadn't seen in a while always put her slightly on edge. Who knew what could happen to someone within a few months?

She watched quietly from the corner of the room where she was sitting silently, her mind occupied with a new puzzle her Father had recently brought home for her, using the meoney he'd earned as an ice harvester - for even now that he was a Prince, had been for many years, he refused to quit his work - to purchase it. She had been working on the challenge at hand for days now, and after all her effort, a picture was finally beginning to take shape.

Glancing up from her work, she rolled her eyes disapprovingly at her two younger siblings, Thomas and Kari, now aged five years and four months, give or take a few days, and her cousin Fredrik, who would be celebrating his sixth in just under a month. The three were running around like hooligans, laughing as they squabbled with each other, and the poor maid watching over them looked as if she was about to cry, having no control over the animals which were part of Mia's family; sighing, she got up slowly and paused for a second, feeling her magic flare up before she released it into the air, ice spreading up her sister, brother and cousin's feet, trapping them. Smiling softly, she sat back down slowly and continued with her puzzle, while the other children glared at her angrily.

"Miaaa!" Kari whined as she struggled against the ice, "Let us go, Mia! My feet are numb!"

Mia, in turn, simply smiled; she'd be horrified if she actually injured anyone, but she knew that her siblings and cousin were okay, they just couldn't move. She wouldn't leave them too long, because she understood that they actually could be in pain then, but a few seconds never hurt anyone.

"Calm down first," She replied simply, as she searched through the pile of puzzle pieces for one which fit. Kari - ever the short tempered one - glared at her elder sister even more harshly, her face a scowl.

"You're not nice, Mia!" She cried, trying to stomp her foot in frustration, but only succeeding in falling forwards, something which only heightened her frustration. Mia laughed as she rolled her eyes, finally releasing the three from their bonds.

"Now you all calm down,'' She scolded, sounding much older than her mere eight years, "Or else I'll tell Mama not to let Eva come to visit, and she'll have to go home to Corona!"

Kari pouted in frustration, but Freddie just nodded reluctantly as he sat down on the floor looking grumpy, but said nothing more. Thomas, however, gasped theatrically, placing his hand over his mouth as his chocolate-brown eyes widened in mock-shock, though the blonde hair upon his head fell forward slightly, hiding part of his face.

"You wouldn't!" He cried, pretending to be horrified that his older sister would consider such a thing, but the curves at the edges of his lips - and the fact that Mia knew his nature as well - meant that she didn't pay him any mind, letting the boy have his fun. Ever since the twins - technically triplets, but after Dawn's untimely passing, none could bear to call them that, for it was too painful a reminder - had been young, while Kari had always had a hot-headed nature, though not necessary cruel or cold, Tom had always been more of a joker, much more light-hearted than his sister. The two were like yin and yang; Kari was smart, not so much as Mia had been at her age - but then she had always tended to stick to herself, ever since the Caves - but still very intelligent. Thomas, on the other hand, was not quite such a natural with words and numbers, but he was more like his Uncle and Father, instead better at other types of thinking; survival skills and the like. In the end, the twins fitted well together; what one lacked, the other had, thus meaning that together, they made up one whole.

Mia, laughing at her brother's antics, then turned to the maid, who was still watching from the corner of the room. "Can we go now please, Ma'am?" She asked politely, and the poor woman looked relieved as she nodded, her previously flustered look fading, as she decided that it was close enough to noon - the time which had been agreed that the miscreants could be allowed to come to the docks to wait for the arrival of their other cousin - for them to be released. She flopped down into a chair tiredly as she watched the three trouble makers, plus the ever more sensible Mia, leaving, but soon after jumped up again to do yet more work. The blonde-haired princess sighed as she left the room, certainly feeling bad that the maid had so much work to do, and deciding that she couldn't leave her to clean up after her siblings all alone, she waved her hand quickly, creating a gust of cold air which pushed the playing cards - abandoned a long while earlier and instead just thrown around the entire room - into one single, if messy, pile. The maid gave her a grateful smile, and ushered her out, promising that she could tidy up the rest.

Hurrying after her younger brother, sister and cousin, Mia eventually managed to catch up with them, waiting impatiently for her outside the castle, in the courtyard. From the look of them, panting, with hot red faces and breath condensing on the cold december air, they'd been running from the get-go, and didn't look best pleased about having to wait for their companion to catch up, either. Kari scowled at her sister, her quick temper - as strong as her fiery red hair - making her glare coldly again at Mia, who simply ignored it, knowing that she was just being her usual self.

"Mi," Freddie complained grumpily, "You're making us late... You have to let us go sledding now!" Fredrik was a sweet young boy, but he had no sense of fear, instead possessing a reckless sense of courage, and a cheekiness which seemed to often get him into trouble. However, his Mother had named him well, too - Elsa had always hoped that he'd live up to his name, which meant 'peaceful ruler', and he didn't disappoint; certainly, if someone else started a fight, he would join in if he had to defend himself, but he never initiated a quarrel himself.

Mia frowned at her cousin, looking skeptical. "I don't know, Freddie..." She said, receiving disappointed faces from the three children around her. Thomas looked up at her with large, puppy dog eyes of richest chocolate brown, and Freddie's green eyes glinted in the sunlight as they shone sadly. Even Kari lost her hard, outward expression; sinking down, she sat on the floor and drew up her knees, looking defeated.

Mia sighed, knowing full well that her siblings and cousin weren't truly sad, just playing with her especially soft side; it was cruel, really, for she hated to hurt anyone, emotionally or physically, after her traumatising childhood, and they were taking advantage of that weakness. Then again, they didn't know; none of the three understood why she was as skittish and quiet as she was. She liked to think that if they did know, they wouldn't make her feel guilty anymore, but she didn't want them to know. She didn't want them to think of her as being tainted, or ruined.

"No, don't do the eyes, Tom..." She said, but it was a pointless argument; accepting that the younger children were never going to give in, she sighed. "Okay, okay, but not fast!" She relented, feeling annoyed that she could be such a pushover; as she waited for the five year olds to find their sled, which they always kept close by for days when they could convince Mia to let them go, she whistled loudly for her old companion, Lysse. The reindeer came crashing across the cobblestone courtyard happily, now a fully grown - if young - reindeer doe, and she tossed her head happily as she licked Mia's cheek gently.

"No, no, no, Lysse!" The princess spluttered, as she pushed the reindeer away and wiped her face in the soft fur of the animal's neck, cringing. "Yuck! No kisses, Lysse!" In response, the doe simply lolled out her tongue and pawed the ground, before bending down to allow the princess to climb onto her back, which she quickly did.

As Mia waited patiently, Lysse began to get bored; spotting Seier a little way away, she let out a bleat, calling him over to play, and the large, but gentle wolf needed little convincing; bounding over happily, he jumped up at the doe's shoulders, and in response, she ran away playfully, her rider hanging on tightly, but laughing in glee and thrill; when she was riding, she felt truly at home. When she was riding, she could let go of all her fears and worries, and just be the girl she had been meant to be.

When the other three finally returned with their sled, Lysse had eventually settled down, and was now waiting patiently, with Seier stood besides her, wagging his tail and barking every so often. His eyes gleamed in excitement, as did those of the royal children, who pushed the sled in front of them, and clambered in, waiting for the older princess to help them go.

Sighing, Mia opened her palm and created a trail of smooth ice, rough enough to ensure the sled didn't go out-of-control-fast, but flat enough to let the three gather up some speed. Seier barked before he pushed them with his head, helping to get them moving, and after that, they didn't stop; Lysse had to trot quickly to keep as Thomas, Kari and Fredrik sped away, soon accelerating into a canter, and even a slow gallop at one point. Mia laughed along with her siblings and cousin as she sped alongside them, although she also kept a watchful eye upon the three, in case they did anything reckless (which, with Freddie around, was highly likely).

It only took a few minutes to reach the docks and, after creating a pile of snow to stop the sled's momentum (and to catch the children who were sent flying through the air from the impact), Mia hopped off of Lysse, patting her fondly and stroking her nose gently. Pulling a small mint from her pocket and feeding it to her as a treat, the reindeer instantly began bouncing around hyperly, her antlers getting caught on a nearby branch of a small tree, leaving her stuck, stood on her hind legs with her fronts dangling in the air. A bipedal reindeer was certainly a sight to see, and Mia giggled at her amusing friend.

After helping Lysse get down out of the tree, the young princess led her friend over to the docks, smiling shyly at her Mother, Father, and Aunt, who were already there with the three other children, waiting for the ship from Corona - which was currently drawing over the horizon now - and talking animatedly. Odd would also have been there, but at present, he was out at work, doing his job as protector of the forests near Arendelle, making sure everything was in check. Usually he wouldn't have gone out today, for it was normally the job of the army to go out in the forests to keep everything safe on such a nice day. Odd tended to only go out in the more dangerous weather, much to Elsa's distaste, because he knew the forests so well, and was so skilled in the art of survival - he had been doing it since the age of eleven, after all. It made sense that he should be the one to brave the forests in the most dangerous times, but it didn't mean people were happy about it. Either way, Odd had gone out that day, for he had had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right, and wasn't one to doubt his own instincts, after they kept him alive for almost fifteen years.

A few minutes passed as the group waited for the ship to reach the dock - although they saved about ten seconds of waiting time when Maximus simply jumped the remaining few metres with Rapunzel, Eugene and Eva on his back - and then Freddie, Thomas and Kari began to jump around in excitement, squealing. Mia shrunk into her Mother's side nervously as she smiled very slightly at the new-comers, and tried not to shake in fear, because though she knew it was silly - they were family, after all, and Rapunzel had even possessed the power to heal people, not exactly an evil talent. Still, her paranoid nature wouldn't let such knowledge settle her down.

Eva was the first to jump off of Max's back, and she ran over to greet her cousins, crying out, "Tom! Freddie! Kari!" She laughed, as she gave each a massive, bone-crushing, breath-stealing hug, lifting each of her peers off of the ground in the embrace. Eva had always been tall for her age, and it was this height which made such an action possible.

Turning to the last young Princess, she gave her a weak smile, and waved slightly. Despite their differences - Eva being a very spirited girl, if a little wacky at times, and Mia the exact opposite - Eva truly enjoyed the eldest girl's company more than any of her other cousins. Perhaps it was that she liked the calmer, less chaotic time she spent with her, or maybe that it was so rare that they spent time together that it felt more special.

PMia, in response, gave a small, timid smile back and waved shyly, shrinking behind her mother a little more, as she felt her hands chill, and a small icy film began to coat the cobbled floor in her unease. Gasping quietly, she closed her eyes and latched onto Anna's dress tightly, muttering, "Comtrol it, control it," over and over under her breath. The words, however, did nothing to calm her distress as more ice began to form, although not enough for anyone to really notice, and her breathing grew panicked. There was a large crowd around, clamouring to glimpse the royals from Corona, and she didn't want people to be scared of her. Mia admired her aunt's control, she truly did; if she had the added pressure of being Queen, then there would be no way she could control it, even in the slightest.

A soft hand took hold of the young girl's smaller, cold one, and the younger princess smiled, as her Mother gave a gentle, reassuring squeeze which said one thousand words.

_Don't worry, Mia - we're here for you._

Mia sighed as she thought of the love her family - her friends - and her Kingdom held for her, and she let out a breath of relief. Feeling the tension leak from her body, she smiled as the ice thawed, and felt a little more confident.

As the group made their way back to the castle, Mia slowly grew confident enough to go and speak with her cousin again, something she hadn't done in a while. Eva was certainly a distinctive person, and her appearance was often a cause of distress for Mia when she first saw her again; it wasn't that she was ugly, just that she was different, and to the poor, tormented princess, anyone different from the normal could pose a threat, or at least more of one. In her opinion, every person could only be trusted to some extent.

Eva was a very eye-catching individual; with her beautiful brown locks, which were highlighted with strong blonde streaks every now and then, and her eyes of different colours - as Arne's had been, Mia always thought as she remembered her deceased childhood friend - were intriguing, one a bright green, a colour which haunted the Princess' nightmares, and the other a soft brown. Her skin was tanned and supple, and her lips were perfectly sculpted and full. The only blemish on her appearance was the scar which ran down the entire right side of her cheek, but though she had inherited some of her mother's now lost healing magic, she refused to heal it. The scar was a part of her, and she liked it, strangely enough. But as said before, she had always been a little wacky.

After a brief conversation, the remainder of the journey back to the castle was quiet, as Mia drifted back to her Mother's side slowly, still a little wary. The girl was younger than her, and yet she still couldn't quite trust her; she knew it was silly, but that was just the way she was.

Just before they reached the castle, the sound of thudding hooves came up behind them, and Odd came rushing into the courtyard, in his arms a young woman, whose face was a horrifying sight to see indeed. Mia felt her head swim as she almost fainted, and she had to run inside to get away from the scene before her, the look of her, the smell of her blood, and those haunting, agonised moans, gurgled from a throat filled with blood.

Fredrik, Thomas and Kari, for once, followed their sister's lead, but poor Eva was needed to stay, to help out. Her hands trembled as she placed them upon the woman's chest, refusing to touch that mess of a face, and she jumped as the woman began to cough, blood spilling out of her mouth and splattering the young Princess' face. All the spectators watched on with sorrow-filled eyes, but knew that she was the only one who could help.

Her hands shaking even more now, Eva returned them to the woman's chest, and began to sing, her voice that of a siren, and the sound was beautiful, would have been appreciated if not for the context they were being used in.

_Flower, gleam and glow,_

_Let your powers shine,_

_Make the clock reverse, _

_Bring back what once was mine,_

Through squinted eyes, Eva could see the woman's injuries beginning to heal; that completely mangled face started to stitch together, the blood flow less, and her heavy breathing grew gentler.

_Heal what has been hurt,_

_Change the fates' design,_

_Save what has been lost,_

_Bring back what once was mine,_

Eva was more confident now as she watched the woman, whose injuries had nearly stopped bleeding, and she let out a sigh, before singing the very last line, closing her eyes again.

_What once was mine..._

Peeking back at the woman with her green and brown eyes filled with hope, Eva smiled when she saw how much better she looked already; the flaps of skin which had been peeling off of her face were now loosely stitched back on, as if they had been tacked back onto her face, and only a few droplets of blood beaded at the edges of the injured skin. Her breathing had returned to normal as well, and with a sigh of relief, Eva ran to her mother's arms, and stayed there.

Sadly, the woman still had a long way to go before she'd be healed again, and the thought made the young princess feel slightly guilty. With only her blonde _streaked_ hair, not fully blonde locks like her mother had used to possess, she only had a fraction of the power the Queen of Corona had had. She wasn't strong enough to reverse the affects of ageing like Rapunzel, nor could she completely heal an injury as severe as this woman's, but at least she could speed up the recovery process, take away some of the pain.

And that was what mattered.

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><p>Ayla's face bent into a cold smile as she watched her kingdom below her, getting ready to reclaim their former glory. The people worked as hard as they could, some creating defences to stop an attack from the sea which would inevitably come when the sorceress' spell fell; some helping to strengthen existing buildings by making the walls thicker, more sturdy; some making new weapons and fixing the existing ones which had been damaged or worn; and some harvesting as much food from the fields as possible. Now that everyone knew of Ayla's magic, she had been able to manipulate the weather to match that of the warmer seasons, better suited for growing vegetables, each large plot a different season.<p>

As she looked out of the window, she didn't notice a small child coming up behind her, and she jumped around as she felt a small tug on her dress. Looking down, she noticed her son looking up at her with large, green eyes, his blonde hair falling in a mop over his head, and Ayla plastered a forced smile upon her face.

"Why, hello, Seth." She said sweetly, trying not to let her disgust at the illegitimate boy show. In truth, over the past few years, she had grown to care slightly for the poor boy, who had been raised on lie after lie, for he was, after all, her son, and as far as children went, he wasn't too annoying. Granted, that was mainly because he was normally scared of her and her abilities and didn't hang around too much, and his strict upbringing had rammed into his head the fact that bothering the adults was bad and would receive punishment, but he was still much more bearable than the Mia brat had been.

"Ayla," Seth said quietly, using the name he'd been forced to use. He'd once called her 'Mama', and his father 'Papa', but such nasty habits had quickly been drilled out of him. "Can I go and help the people please?" His green eyes shone with longing, for he was rarely allowed out of the castle, for neither Ayla nor Hans trusted him enough (though they used the excuse that they simply didn't want their 'adopted' son getting hurt).

A small part of her heart ached to grant him his wish, but she held herself together as she bent down, trying to look apologetic. "I'm sorry, Seth," She said, "But you can't go outside today. It's too dangerous; you could be hurt, and you know how much it would hurt my poor, poor heart if anything happened to you." She knew it was a downright lie - perhaps she'd feel a bit of guilt, a few minutes of grief for the loss of her son, but not much more. Still, she had to keep up appearances. "And just think about poor Hans - he needs to keep things organised, and if he's worrying about you, then that won't happen, hmm?"

Seth sighed sadly. "I know, I know." He replied, quietly. ''I just..." He trailed off, and shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

Ayla was suddenly intrigued by her son's statement, and began to press him for information. "Whatever's the matter, Darling?" She asked sweetly, although he was as much her darling, as she was innocent. Seth looked down at his toes, and he slouched his shoulders, looking ashamed of himself.

"I... I..." He began, and sighed, trying to put his words together. "I just wanted to try and find my parents. My real parents."

The words struck at Ayla's heart as she felt a pain she'd never felt before, the words from her son's mouth hurting as she realised that he'd never know how closely related he was to her. She sighed, wishing she could just tell him everything, and knowing she couldn't - and also noticing how weak this boy had made her.

"Oh, Sweetie," She said, for the first time with genuine affection in her voice, though it sickened her too. "Your parents are... dead..." She said, the words hurting as she spoke them, and she saw his green eyes grow dimmer. "You know that, but don't worry - me and Hans, we'll always look after you."

Seth sighed as he moved closer to her, forgetting how dangerous she was in his time of need, as he wrapped his arms around her, and incredibly, it felt almost nice that her son needed her for support.

_What is happening to me? _She thought in disgust after the previous emotion had registered, but she didn't push the boy away, not just yet, and she could see tears rolling down his cheeks as he clung onto her. "I love you, Mama," he said, and the word slipped out before he could stop himself, but Ayla could barely find it in herself to correct him. Still, though she knew she had to, or she'd become sappy, and be no use to anyone.

"Not Mama, Sweetie. Just Ayla." She reminded him, as she painfully pushed him away. "Go on, go and find Hans - I'm sure he'd love to see you."

Seth looked saddened, but slowly nodded, and turned away to leave. Ayla tore her own gave away and gave herself a slap with her magic.

_Get a grip, woman. _She thought to herself, _He is just the same as any other child._

But she knew deep down that Seth had made her a little more compassionate, a little more human, as he had done with Hans, too, she could tell - even the Prince seemed to have a small soft-spot for the little boy that was his son. And the strange fact was, that though she told herself that giving in to love would make her weaker, she could feel the magic coursing through her veins; she could feel how much stronger it had grown as of recent.

And she could feel how much more dangerous she was, too.

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><p><span><strong>First, in response to a guest review by KLime at the end of the last book about Ayla being able to create bacteria meaning there's no hope for anyone and that there's nothing to write about in this last 'book', I guess I forgot to make my reasoning clear; Ayla can't create much bacteria at one time, only enough to target one person, in this case, and it wouldn't be deadly either, rather just a weaker type of bacteria. <strong>

**For example, for most people, bronchitis (Dawn's illness) would simply give them a cough and an uncomfortably sore throat. However, in the case of Dawn, she was extremely susceptible, because not only did she have a weak immune system and a weak heart, she also had weak lungs, meaning the illness affected her more than others. Bronchitis targets the bronchioles and makes them inflamed (if I remember correctly), so this would have made her already-difficult breathing even more of a struggle, and she wouldn't be able to feed because she'd have such a sore throat. On top of this, bronchitis can lead to pneumonia, which, I expect, would have also been the case for Dawn. **

**This new talent of Ayla's would have been a recent development, and like I said before, she wouldn't be able to do it enough to create a deadly epidemic, because she couldn't create really strong illnesses, nor could she spread thousands of bacteria at one time - it would be too strenuous. She could possibly slow down her enemies by spreading common cold bacteria, which obviously multiplies quickly and spreads easily, but she couldn't create a deadly killer-disease, even in small quantities - it would be beyond, her abilities. **

**However, the fact that people didn't understand bacteria at the time a fair point - all I can say in defence is that Frozen itself isn't completely perfect for following history, for example Anna's tandem bike. I'm pretty sure bikes were not that modern when frozen was set! Ahaa, I can't deny that was a mistake, but oh well.**

**Wow, that was a long reply! Second, I'd like to apologise about Sven and Lysse's lifespans; usually, reindeer only live about twenty years maximum, but that would mean that Sven would have already died, considering Kristoff would have owned him at the age of eight, and now, in this final book, he and Elsa are about 32 years old. Thus, Sven would have died four years earlier at least, and I couldn't bear that, and I doubt you guys could either. So, hey, they now have the lifespan of a normal horse, so Sven can keep going still! Yay!**

**Last thing that I'm going to say is that I'll try and include Olaf in this book; in the last few, he has been... uh... on a world tour, and now he has finally returned? Okay, I know it's a weak excuse, but frankly, I forgot him, and I feel bad.**

**Sorry that this chapter was a bit dull; it was basically just a 're-introduce the characters' chapter, but please give me a chance!**

**Thanks for putting up with me!**

**-SG**


	2. Chapter 2 - for CdrRMF KLime (guest)

**Get a grip, woman.**_** She thought to herself, **_**He is just the same as any other child.**

_**But she knew deep down that Seth had made her a little more compassionate, a little more human, as he had done with Hans, too, she could tell - even the Prince seemed to have a small soft-spot for the little boy that was his son. And the strange fact was, that though she told herself that giving in to love would make her weaker, she could feel the magic coursing through her veins; she could feel how much stronger it had grown as of recent.**_

_**And she could feel how much more dangerous she was, too.**_

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><p>Ayala could feel her magic pumping in her veins, an overwhelming tidal wave of power as she practiced, training herself in endurance so that using complicated magic would not be so tiring. She could feel the sweat on her brow as she focused on the demanding task at hand; 'jumping' from place to place, as she liked to call it; in other words disappearing from one place, to reappear in another. Moving things through nothingness to get somewhere else was not an easy feat, and when done more than three times without a break, she was left gasping from exhaustion, her knees wobbling, incredibly weak. She'd been trying to aim to get into a differently shaped hoop each time, to work on her accuracy too, but it was easier said than done, and she often ended up on top of the large wardrobe of her room, remaining there until she was strong enough to 'jump' back to the ground.<p>

After another half an hour or so of fruitless practice, Ayla finally gave in, deciding she had more important things to do right now than work on her magical endurance, which she could easily train in again some other day. Breathing heavily as she made her way down to one of many living rooms in the castle - the smallest one, which people tended to avoid in preference of the larger, more luxurious ones - she flopped down on the sofa tiredly, and flexed her fingers a few times, before creating a puff of magic, which she directed towards the stables, where she knew Hans could be found, and instructed to tell him where to find her. It was a new trick she'd accidentally discovered she had the ability of recently, and what better excuse to use it than after working so hard already? She deserved to be lazy for a few minutes.

Hans showed up not too long after Ayla had sent her message, looking thoroughly frustrated, and it wasn't hard to see why; after vanquishing the little puff - a fitting name, she thought - which had been clearly pestering the Prince by bouncing off his head to get him to move, she gestured for him to sit down across from her, and she smiled sweetly.

Hans slouched slightly as he leaned back in the sofa, waiting for his now-consort to speak. He hadn't wanted to have to marry her, but it had been a beneficial move; in joining with her, his people saw him as truly being reformed, no longer the monster he once was. Even his brothers, the very same people who had once teased and bullied him, now looked to him as the one in charge - his Father was certainly not getting any younger, that much was for sure, and someone had to be leader, after all. After his efforts to avenge the death of his older brother Bjørn, and his further attempts to restore the kingdom to it's former glory - even if he had not succeeded in doing so yet - his brothers had gained a new respect for him, although he still had suspicions that Ayla's magic may have partially influenced their decision to follow him.

It was a nice thought, that after all he'd been through, things had actually turned out well for him; he'd gained the respect of his siblings, regained the respect of his people, and was well on his way to being leader. The law stated that the eldest surviving son would be the one to take the throne on the death of the King, but that rule didn't count anymore; all it would take would be a wave of Ayla's hand, and voila - the law would be re-written, and everyone would just accept that he should be Monarch, and no one would raise a fuss.

And he even had a wife and heir. Perhaps he'd rather not have to get married, but his joining with Ayla had raised the people's opinion of him, and their 'adoption' of Seth meant that he could inherit the throne when Hans passed, making him immortal, in a sense. That was one thing the sorceress' magic couldn't do - keep one alive indefinitely, although she could heal injuries and cure maladies, meaning she could at least make people live longer - but it could, again, change the law to allow adopted children to be proper heirs.

No, things hadn't turned out so badly for him. Ayla's beginning to speak broke him out of his musings, and he listened carefully as she laid out her plan, which she'd spent a few days thinking about, trying to perfect.

"Here's the idea," she began, as she reached over for a chocolate, which was currently sitting in a small, flat dish, surrounded by other confectionaries much too expensive for normal people to afford. She had done well for herself, too, Hans thought as he waited for her to continue. "Well, personally, I think we need to appear weak, at least to the other kingdoms. If they don't see us as a threat, then they'll be relaxed about us, and that'll leave us in a good position. They'll be weak, and we can hit them with a surprise attack later on."

Hans nodded understandingly. "That's a good point." He agreed, "That way, they wouldn't have any need to build up large armies to withstand our own, which they will believe to be weak and small - whereas exactly the opposite is true." He frowned slightly at his own words, but shrugged off his doubts. "Personally, I'd prefer to just go all out, but that's just my style, and your tactics are probably better, though it pains me to admit it."

Ayla smiled slightly, her lips curved at the edges in knowing amusement.

"Trust you to want to show off," She murmured, rolling her eyes, "But bragging is the way to get yourself killed, and I should know. My Mother and Brother were killed by Queen Elsa - crushed, even - after they made a point about their powers, and about how they killed her parents, and her Aunt and Uncle, too - the King and Queen of Corona - for their scheme. Certainly made her much angrier- anyway, be careful; don't boast of your power and strength, or you'll only be over-powered in the long run."

Hans sighed. "You're bloody annoying, you know?" He commented, before pausing, and frowning, his green eyes turning to the front of the room, by the door. Ayla's bright blue eyes also followed his gaze, and she instantly noticed what it was that had caught the Prince's attention. Clearing her throat, she watched with partially scathing eyes as a small boy came into view.

"Seth..." She said warningly, "I've told you before about listening in on conversations. It is rude, you know." Her son whimpered slightly, and hung his head, murmuring 'I'm sorry...' a few times, until Hans rose. The poor boy let out a squeak of fear as he shrunk back even more, terrified at his Father's glare. The two reluctant parents secretly held a special place in their cold, impenetrable hearts for their child, but neither would tolerate him going against the rules, and one of the biggest was not to snoop around, and listen in to others' conversations. After all, if he heard vital information, he was only young; it wouldn't take much for him to talk to an enemy, and he wouldn't even know what he was doing wrong.

However, as Hans began to move around the sofa to scold the boy - at which Ayla had instinctively begun to rise herself, to protect her son, though she knew she shouldn't get so attached- something completely unexpected came about. As Seth's eyes widened, shining in fear, there was a brief spark of rebellion, even power, in them, before the child appeared to just... Vanish.

Ayla frowned and squinted in the direction her son had been as she let out a little gasp, and then cautiously made her way over. Focusing, she placed her hand out and eventually touched something warm and alive; smiling, she beamed at her son, forgetting her anger and instead feeling both excited and... Proud?

"Camoflauge," She muttered quietly as Hans also came over, and she looked up to him excitedly. "Don't you see- this could work to our benefit! He can act as a spy, for Lord knows I can't. I'm too busy for a start, nor could I keep up such magic for a long period of time! I am all rounded in magic, but if he specialises in camouflage, the he'll be good at it. Strong, even!"

Hans frowned, beginning to question if his consort had told him the truth before, although he couldn't deny the advantageous ness of the situation either way. "You said before, that the offspring of one who can harness magic will not be able to do so themselves; that they will just have the blood in their veins to pass onto their own heirs. Thus, how does this work?" He spoke under his breath so that Seth couldn't hear, and Ayla shrugged.

"I don't know- maybe because I wasn't born magic? But that doesn't matter; this development is brilliant!" She then turned to her confused son, who was now visible again, and ruffled his hair. "Good boy; go to your room, and I'll get the chefs to make you a cake."

Seth's mouth fell at his Mother's kindness, and the offer of cake almost made him feel dizzy with glee. He rarely ever got cake, except for his birthday and at Christmas, so he knew he'd done brilliantly, for whatever reason. He liked this new fondness Ayla held for him, and he only wished Hans would be a little less stern, but he'd take what he could get.

After all, this was possibly the nicest they'd ever been to him, at least when together.

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><p><strong>First, to WildVirus - sure, feel free to draw the kids - I can't wait to see it!<strong>

**And second, to everyone else, I got a comment on the last chapter suggesting I should update just once a week - what do you guys think? Every three/four days (at least I try, anyway) or every week, maybe on Sunday night? Vote in a review - guest and member views will both be taken into account!**

**Please leave a review with your vote, because you know how much they mean to me! I love you all!**

**(*Picks up a knife* Now... Who isn't going to review? *Insert evil laugh here*) **

**-SG**


	3. Chapter 3 - for WildVirus (guest)

_**Hans frowned, beginning to question if his consort had told him the truth before, although he couldn't deny the advantageous ness of the situation either way. "You said before, that the offspring of one who can harness magic will not be able to do so themselves; that they will just have the blood in their veins to pass onto their own heirs. Thus, how does this work?" He spoke under his breath so that Seth couldn't hear, and Ayla shrugged.**_

_**"I don't know- maybe because I wasn't born magic? But that doesn't matter; this development is brilliant!" She then turned to her confused son, who was now visible again, and ruffled his hair. "Good boy; go to your room, and I'll get the chefs to make you a cake."**_

_**Seth's mouth fell at his Mother's kindness, and the offer of cake almost made him feel dizzy with glee. He rarely ever got cake, except for his birthday and at Christmas, so he knew he'd done brilliantly, for whatever reason. He liked this new fondness Ayla held for him, and he only wished Hans would be a little less stern, but he'd take what he could get.**_

_**After all, this was possibly the nicest they'd ever been to him, at least when together.**_

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><p>Odd grinned at Kristoff excitedly, his eyes shining with enthusiasm as he shifted around in his saddle to get the best seat, holding the reins tightly to stop his horse, Brandy Shot, from throwing his head around. The animal pawed the ground in anticipation and snorted at Sven, who was stood next to him, challenging him to even dare try to win, and Sven gave a confident grin as he stood taller, appearing to dominate the smaller Fjord horse.<p>

"Racers!" A voice called above the noise of the gathered crowd, and the riders all tightened their reins - except in Kristoff's case, for he never used them - and held their horses back tightly. "On your marks!" The animals all tried to shake their heads free of their companions' hold, growing tense and ready to run, "Get set!" The riders nodded to each-other respectfully, wishing the others luck, before they focused their attention back in front of them. "Go!"

A horn blew, and chaos reigned as the horses - and the single reindeer - burst forward in a surge of speed, their hooves pounding the earth below them harshly, their heads stretched as far forward as they could reach. Sweat quickly beaded on each animal's sides, around their girths and on their necks, as their warm breath condensed on the cold, cold New Year's Day air.

The animals sped around the first bend, taking the turn at a sharp angle as their riders hung on tightly, their mounts having to fight not to slip over as they galloped hard across the very slightly muddy ground. It had been a cold winter for sure, and though there had thankfully been no rain in a few days, giving the track a chance to dry out a little, the ground was still slightly muddy and loose, making it more dangerous for the racers.

As the final horse rounded the corner, just a head or two behind the next, the poor creature lost its footing; with a cry of surprise and fear, both equine and rider fell, the stallion's head catching the flank of the mare in front. She, too, let out a loud squeal as she tripped from the impact, trying to keep upright but failing, and she slipped too. People quickly rushed onto the course to help the riders get up, although the Doctor had to be called for the first.

Elsa, who was watching from nearby, let out a little gasp as she began to stand up in her stirrups to call off the race, for the muddiness of the ground was clearly a health hazard, but she was quickly stopped by her son's glare. Freddie's eyes had narrowed when he noticed what his mother was about to do, and Anna quickly took her Sister's hand, shaking her head and pulling the Queen back down into the saddle.

"Elsa, you can't stop the race now!" Anna said quickly, although she felt nervous herself for the racers, especially the two who were a part of her family; her husband and brother-in-law. "You know how much everyone complained when you cancelled before; they'd be furious if you stopped it now! Ugh, I still have a headache from the shouting..." She winced and touched her fingers tenderly to her head, and Elsa giggled slightly, knowing that her sister was not being serious. Anna's mouth widened into a grin, as she reached over and gently poked her sister's shoulder for her lack of concern.

"Be nice!" She complained cheekily, "What sort of big sister are you, to not care for me in my time of need? I'm in the wars here!"

Elsa rolled her eyes at her drama-queen of a sibling. "I'm the sort of sister who knows _exactly_ what you are like, Rascal!" She teased, "I can't take you seriously for a second!"

Anna pouted as if Elsa's words had really hurt, but when she saw her raised eyebrows, she sighed in resignation, crying, "Fine, fine, I'm not serious!" She laughed slightly, to enforce the idea that she wasn't truly frustrated, and then her attention returned to the race.

"Anyway, like I said, you can't stop it now. The racers'll be distraught after all the training they've put in, Odd the most. He loves you, but I think he's bored with Royal life - even scouting the forests can't do much for him, as he doesn't do it often. Kristoff's okay, 'cause he goes out ice harvesting, at that gives him something to do, but I think Odd needs something else to do! Don't take away this chance for him to just have a bit of fun!"

Elsa sighed as she nodded, absent mindedly stroking her horse's neck gently. "I guess you're right..." She said, and then her eyes brightened. "Hey, here's an idea; what if he looked after the horses? You know, train up the foals, exercise the older ones, hmm? That'll give him a job to do, and he enjoys that sort of thing, after all."

Anna nodded happily. "You should suggest it to him later." She agreed, and then turned back to the race. "Come on - we've lost sight of them all. They're on a curved route, and they're jumping hedges too, which'll slow them down- if we gallop straight, we should be able to catch up to them, see how they are doing."

Elsa nodded in agreement, replying that she had to check for any casualties, her heart aching that she had to do such a thing, but she still pulled her horse around, trotting him away from the fence as Anna trailed just a little behind; she then spun him around and, pushing him into a canter, the gelding leaped over the fence, landing and taking a few short steps before jumping the one opposite, followed close behind by the mare, Misty.

The two slowed their horses down to a halt once they'd landed, and then began to laugh happily as they saw the shocked faces on the other side. If anyone else had done such a thing, people would understandably have been outraged, but no one really questioned anything the Queen did - though everyone knew she'd never harm her subjects on purpose, something made obvious ever since her coronation and her distress over freezing her kingdom, they still appreciated that she did still hold their very lives in her hands.

As such, aside from her decision to cancel the race which had been scheduled for months, to which the Kingdom protested loudly - mainly because Anna had already done so, leaving them feeling confident. Even her own family had complained, and in the end, there was no resisting her nephew, Thomas', puppy dog eyes, so she'd been forced to recall that decision. Everyone had been pleased, although the two injured riders were probably regretting that they'd entered now. Still, they'd be cared for by the royal doctor, something which Elsa had insisted upon; unlike many rulers of the time, she was not the sort of Queen who let her people suffer.

"Let's go, Elsa!" Anna cried happily, as her mare began to trot, whinnying happily. Elsa, in response, sent a quick look behind her, where her son, nephew and her youngest niece were stood, watching for the racers to come around the corner, with Mia sat on Lysse, looking around earnestly, looking quite happy that she had a better view than everyone else. The route would take about two or three minutes at a flat out gallop; the racers should be crossing the line soon, although there was still another lap to go.

The young princess gained a rare glint in her eyes as she watched her Mother and Aunt leaving, and her heart began to pound rapidly in her chest in excitement. Lysse shook her head happily too, and then, when her family was completely out of sight, she clucked her tongue; the reindeer jumped into action, leaping bouncily over the fence onto the track, and then stretched her neck forwards, giving a little buck of excitement as she raced across the torn up grass. Mia let out a yell of glee as she followed the same track her Father had just a few minutes before, feeling completely at home on the back of her best friend, allowing herself the freedom she rarely gave in to, letting the thrill of the gallop take her over.

Yells sounded all around as she raced away from the start, people crying at her to "get off of the track" for fear she'd get hurt - or, for those who were less than impressed by her, such as the boy who had called her a freak when she first displayed her ability of mind-control, for fear she'd ruin the race - but the Princess ignored all these pleas. She'd never normally be so rebellious, but when she riding, she forgot her past, forgot her instinctive nervousness and passiveness, and was the girl she had been meant to be when she was born; not nearly so eccentric as her Mother, but still a lover of fun and adventure, living for just a taste of excitement. But the caves had ruined her, young though she had been- she'd become a completely different child, more like her Aunt who'd also had a traumatic childhood, than Anna. Perhaps Elsa had gotten over that now, but Mia knew fear was ingrained into her very soul now, and she'd never be quite so fun-loving as she could have been.

But when she galloped with Lysse, when she leaped over jumps and splashed through streams, she could finally be the girl who had been lost for years; she could embrace her true self for that short amount of time, and could forget the trauma-scarred instincts which had been forced upon her.

And it made such a feeling of freedom even more blissful and precious, worth more to her than any gold or diamond tiara her family could buy.

Behind her, she could hear the laughter of her siblings and her cousin, loud and clear as she galloped away from them and she joined in, feeling pleased that she'd been able to humour her family so; she was always the perfect little princess, and as such, it always brought the other three happiness when she just let go and was more like them, but they rarely saw her do so. Perhaps they hoped that the change in her meant she'd be more like them and would join in their games, and while she knew that wouldn't happen, she wouldn't tell them that - she'd let them have their hope.

As she continued to gallop onwards - the shouts from people on the outside of the fence being completely ignored by her - she felt her enthusiasm and excitement turn to a slightly tingling feeling of dread, and Lysse's ears began to flatten, as if something was up ahead. Still, Mia continued racing, trying to pass off her fear as a side effect of the thrill, and tried to continue to smile. She let out a forced yell of glee as she leaped over the hedges crossing the course, and softly patted her friend's neck to try to calm her too, but it was all in vain; as she approached the half-way mark for the course, she noticed that there was a crowd gathered just ahead, horses and humans alike, and her heart thudded in her chest, and Lysse whined in distress as she was urged forward.

What Mia saw next almost made her pass out; as she looked on at the scene, she remained confused about what was going on until she got a little closer, and could see over the shoulders of the other racers, who were watching with just as much interest and fear as she was.

On the ground, five people were stood, all of whom had a very close connection to the young Princess: her Mother and Father; her Aunt and Uncle; and a person she hadn't seen in years. A tall, slender and beautiful woman, with blonde hair and a large pair of eyes filled with a sickening passion for blood. Bright blue as her own, but with a much sharper edge to them.

Mia let out a shriek as the woman grinned at her, and her previous thrill of riding disappeared instantly. She pulled back on Lysse's mane roughly as she began to panic, trying to turn the animal around to run off, but her actions only scared the poor creature; her stiff body made her certain that something was really, really wrong, and she began to trot on the spot, rearing up and bucking in a terror similar to her rider's.

Mia began to sob as she desperately tried to turn around, to run off, but Lysse couldn't understand anything her friend asked in her own state of panic. Yet she could hear the child's weeping, and knew that she was truly terrified, and she lost all traces of rational thinking she had previously possessed; she suddenly spun and began galloping blindly, heading for the fence surrounding the race, which had already been deserted by the spectators and jumped, bleating out in fear as Mia clung on desperately to her mane, her face buried in her friend's neck. She landed sloppily as she lost her footing slightly in the mud, and behind her, Mia could hear her mother calling out her name, but there was nothing she could do.

With a jolt, Lysse suddenly spun on the spot, trying to escape from some terrible threat her rider couldn't see, and the princess looked up tentatively to find out what it was. Immediately she wished she hadn't; there stood Ayla, popping from place to place, grinning even more sadistically than she ever remembered as she blocked the reindeer's path. Lysse began to back up, jumping side to side to try and escape - nearly throwing Mia off as she did - and the sorceress grinned, then stopped moving.

The next action passed in a blur for the poor child, as she clung on while her friend bolted back to where the rest of the riders were, who had all dismounted now and were trying to calm their own skittish horses down, who were clearly jumpy from the reindeer's bolting. She hugged Lysse's neck desperately as her tears wetted the nervous creature's fur, and she instantly knew when Ayla had popped back as she felt her mount jump, only stopped by her mother, who were trying to hold on and keep her calm - not an easy feat without reins. She didn't object as she felt herself be pulled off by a pair of gentle, slightly cold hands - her Aunt, undoubtedly - and then cuddled into her mother's leg, cowering in fear as she saw the sorceress in front of her.

Kristoff and Odd, who were standing with their own animals and smoothing their noses to keep them calm - though Sven shared their anger more than his peers' fear - quickly noticed the girl's reaction, and both sent cold glares at the woman, mustering up as much intense rage as was possible so that their eyes shone with malice. Just a little way off, the women were just as enraged.

"Go back to the village." She said to the riders behind her, though she didn't look at them, keeping her gaze on the sorceress before her. "The race is off." No one protested this time; the men mounted their horses quickly, and galloped off, leaving the Queen, the Princesses and the Princes behind with arguably the world's most powerful sorceress.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Odd snarled, his eyes full of fury, and Ayla grinned coldly.

"Oh, I'm just dropping by," She said in reply, shrugging as if it was a casual thing. She then turned to his wife, and her eyes narrowed scornfully, but she continued smiling in the same twisted way. "How are you, _Your Majesty_?" Her words were filled with sarcasm as she said them, and she continued as Elsa's hands began to grow cold, as she prepared her magic for self-defence. Snow had begun to fall, but that was from the terrified child who was cowering behind her mother's leg, rather than from the Queen. "And how about your child - a boy, if my sources are correct? I'll bet he was an easy birth, hmm?"

Elsa glared at the woman as she recalled the night she'd had Freddie: Boxing day, six years ago. She cringed as she remembered the pain she'd felt that day, stronger than all other pains she'd felt in her life - aside from the emotional trauma when she'd watched her sister freeze to death, and this attracted the younger woman's attention; Anna frowned slightly as she stopped glowering at the sorceress, and turned to the Queen in concern.

"Elsa..." She began, but her sister shook her head.

"Not now, Anna." She commanded, and the Princess relented, turning her attention back to Ayla, who was looking even more pleased with herself now.

"Ah, so I see I made my mark?" She laughed slightly, and both Elsa and Odd, who knew how much the magic had affected her, were furious. "I must admit, I'm glad; after all the effort it took, not to mention that last bit of magic to get you out of _my_ Kingdom, I was in a bit of a state."

Mia whimpered at the reminder of being rescued from the kingdom, and Anna bent down to pick her up, cuddling the girl close with a little difficulty - she was too big now to pick up really, but she managed it, for her daughter's sake.

"I've had enough of this!" The older Princess shouted, and the animals around her jumped at her sudden outburst. "Get out of our kingdom - you aren't welcome here, _Witch_!"

Ayla's eyes widened in shock, and then she laughed in surprise. "Witch, eh?" She shrugged. "I guess I deserve that - but I'm not going anywhere without a fight. I quite like it here, you see."

Elsa took the opportunity now to step forwards, and her magic flared up inside. She watched the sorceress carefully for a few seconds, and then shot a sudden burst of ice at her feet, just trying to immobilise her - though she quickly realised afterwards that such an action probably wouldn't work anyway.

There would only be one way to take the woman down; through her heart. And she'd vowed to never do that again, promised herself she wouldn't do it to anyone... but then again, she was the Queen. She had to protect her people; both her subjects _and_ her family.

The sorceress snarled, and then jumped to the side to avoid the blast. She held her hands out towards Elsa - something which she never normally did, usually opting to just click her fingers - and the Queen quickly prepared for her attack as she shot another blast of ice at her, her own palms sweating and shaking from doing what she had to do. Ayla's eyes widened as she shot her own blast back, and the two hit, exploding with such force that everyone was sent flying backwards.

A little while passed, the force making everyone present black out for a half minute or so, but then they came around groggily. Kristoff and Odd first, followed by Elsa and Anna. Little Mia remained unconscious, but she was stable and, most importantly, not scared in her current state.

And Ayla lay on the floor too, unmoving, her chest still. A short period of silence passed, and when she still didn't rise, Odd slowly began to inch towards her. Elsa watched, horrified, as he crept towards the woman, who would kill him as soon as blink, and throw a party to celebrate such an achievement after.

"Odd!" She whispered, just loud enough for him to hear, but he purposefully ignored her. She continued to call for him, but received no response as he continued forward, creeping up to the sorceress and then pausing. He tentatively reached out his foot and gave her body a quick nudge, and when she gave no reaction, tried again, a little more forcefully, and then bent down. He paused for a moment, knowing how dangerous what he was doing was, but took a breath, and placed his fingers upon her cold wrist. He waited for a few seconds, and then stood up. Looking over to the rest of his family, he shook his head.

"She's gone," He said, feeling deep relief in his chest as he walked back. "No pulse."

Elsa sighed too, and Kristoff's face changed from a frown to one of relief, and Anna's face actually broke into a smile, though it sickened her slightly that she had so little regard for Ayla's life. That being said, when she thought about what she'd done to her daughter in the past, she didn't feel nearly so bad.

"Let's get back to the castle." She said, sullenly, sparing a second glance at the sorceress' still body. "We can get a team to come out here then and cremate her body."

The group nodded in agreement, and, after Elsa froze her body for good measure, they began to head back to the castle, quiet and contemplative, thinking about the day they'd had, still shaken from everything that had gone on.

Later that day, when a team of men returned to get rid of her body, there was no body left to destroy; the only evidence that she'd ever been there was a large puddle of water, and the shape of a body pressed into the mud.

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><p><strong>Now that I'm posting weekly, I'm planning on trying to make the chapters longer for you guys, which will be nice. You'll have more time to read and appreciate each update (and hopefully more time to leave a quick review *cheeky grin*), so hopefully this will give us all a nice, relaxing last book... not that the story itself will be very relaxed, I doubt, but it'll make my writing it less stressful and rushed. Fingers crossed the quality will also improve :D<strong>

**If you have any suggestions for this book, please leave them in a review - I take each one into account, so who knows - you could make the story your own, in theory!**

**The next chapter will hopefully be posted by Sunday - it'll just be a short one to accompany this chapter and to explain what happened, so I'd feel bad if I made you wait a week for less than 1,000 words.**

**So, any ideas what happened to Ayla before you get the answers in the next chapter?**

**Arrivederci!**

**-SG**


	4. Chapter 4 - dedicated to thorinii

_**The group nodded in agreement, and, after Elsa froze her body for good measure, they began to head back to the castle, quiet and contemplative, thinking about the day they'd had, still shaken from everything that had gone on.**_

_**Later that day, when a team of men returned to get rid of her body, there was no body left to destroy; the only evidence that she'd ever been there was a large puddle of water, and the shape of a body pressed into the mud.**_

* * *

><p>"It's done," Ayla said, as her legs gave way and she collapsed onto the floor in fatigue, her magic reserves drained, leaving her whole body feeling like a block of lead. She winced slightly as a wave of pain cascaded upon her mind, the start of a promisingly horrific headache - an unmistakeable symptom of how much she'd exerted herself - and she sighed in frustration when she realised she'd have to endure this for at least five minutes, until she regained her strength to use magic to heal her head. Trying to block out the sharp daggers which were making her mind ache, she smiled gratefully as her son helped her get onto her feet, which her consort soon came over to help with too, and together the two males of different generations helped her to the sofa. Hans, of course, took most of her weight; the youngest Prince's body was too small to support a fully grown woman.<p>

"Ugh...'' Ayla groaned, as she rubbed her forehead tenderly, as if it would make the nagging pain go away, but it helped none at all. Deciding that it would do no good, however, to just brood over her discomfort, she sighed and sat up a little straighter- she was never one to show weakness. Lesser people did that, not her.

Noticing that Hans was beginning to get impatient waiting, she began to explain what she'd done, but not before she made sure to send Seth out - and she watched him leave until he closed the door, so that he couldn't just sneak back in camouflaged.

"It was a simple enough plan, really - with a few more taxing bits of magic in between. The people of Arendelle were having a race today, an old tradition which, it would seem, Queen Elsa decided to bring back to celebrate this new year, so it wasn't hard to get noticed. I made an illusion of myself half-way around the track, so that I could launch a surprise attack on the racers who, if my plan worked, would have hurried back to warn the people of my presence, including the royals. Of course, then, Elsa and Anna would have come to find me, and from there, I would have had a small fight with them."

Hans frowned as he listened to his consort's short speech, and then held up his hand, interrupting her. "Wait a second - you seem to be implying that everything didn't go to plan?"

Ayla shook her head, but was smiling at the same time. "It went better than I'd thought, actually." She admitted, "It turns out that both Prince Kristoff and Odd were actually in the race - not only were they there when I showed myself, but then the Queen and Princess turned up too, so I had the whole group of them present to witness things. Then, lo-and-behold, who should race around the corner but young Princess Mia, as well? The look on the child's face when she saw me... she was absolutely terrified, and it felt good that I could get back at her slightly for being such a brat when she was here."

Hans chuckled slightly, looking pleased with how things had turned out, as he nodded for Ayla to continue. She paused for a second as a wave of dizziness came over her, and then she recovered with a groan.

"Ugh, I need to get my magic levels back up..." She groaned, but shook off the discomfort, trying her best to block it out. "Anyway, it was easy at the start - I played around with the young Princess for a bit, popping the illusion of myself in-front of her as she tried to run away, which made her panic, but it was certainly amusing, working her up. After a little while, though, she just hid behind her Mother, so I couldn't tease her any more."

Hans frowned at this, a little annoyed that his consort couldn't torment the brat of a child more, but he didn't say anything and let her continue.

"So, then, Queen Elsa actually shot a beam of ice at me - clearly she didn't appreciate my presence there - and I dodged that, which was easy, considering it was just all just an illusion. She then continued to send another at me, and I threw back a coloured beam of light, which created a mini-explosion when they collided. The force knocked everyone else present out, and I made the illusion act as if it had been killed by the blast, which would highlight the weakness of our kingdom... or at least, how we want them to see us. If I was so powerless, and frankly - no offence - I'm probably the strongest person in the Southern Isles, then surely everyone else would be in an even more sorry state, right?"

Hans nodded. "That _does_ make sense, I guess." He admitted, "They'd think we were being over-confident when we were actually helpless, at least in their eyes, and so in the future, they'll overlook anything we do."

Ayla looked pleased that she'd gotten her point across. "Exactly," She agreed, "But next came the reason why I'm out of magic at the moment - I had to solidify the illusion when the Queen's consort came over, to see whether I was alive, if I had a pulse. It took it out of me, to say the least, but I managed it; I made my copy a real body, but didn't give it a pulse, to fool them all." She grinned at her achievemnt, although the pounding in her head made it feel much less satisfying. "Anyway, he reported me dead, and Elsa froze my body for good measure, then they left to get everyone home in case there was more danger on the way, or something. But that's not all; there's something I didn't mention when I first told you the plan."

Ayla grinned as she saw Hans' face frown again, a mixture of uncertainty and distrust in his eyes as he waited for his Consort to elaborate, but when she did reply, she didn't disappoint.

"When they left, I figured that I'd gone to too much effort just to make them think us weak, especially now that they consider me dead. So then, I had a stroke of genius, if I say so myself; I returned the body back into being an illusion, and then... I hardly know how to describe it, and gosh, it was horribly difficult to pull off, but I managed it. I changed the illusion into a gas - more like fire, actually - and then melted the ice around it. After that, it was easy. I just let it, I don't know, get absorbed by the earth, so that now, the soil of Arendelle will constantly have a part of me, in a way, hidden in it. I'll be able to get inside information on their Kingdom, like a spy, which we can then use to our advantage."

Ayala looked at Hans with pride shining in her eyes, as she grinned at her achievement, but then noticed his confused expression, for he was still lost about what she'd actually done, and she sighed, right when her mind decided to begin aching again. "Look- don't worry about trying to understand what I did, just accept that I did it. And now, we have a spy behind enemy lines which can't even be detected!" She rubbed the back of her nack in frustration. "It has its limits, of course - I can't make out brilliantly anything that' seeing said, maybe only enough to get a gist of it, and it'll be exhausting to... Link to the spy, so to speak, but I do think it could give us valuable information."

In agreement, Hans nodded slowly. "Okay, then." He said, trying not to think too hard about what Ayla had tried to explain before, about how she'd achieved it. "Good work." He remained silent for a few seconds, and then stood up when he noticed how his consort was resting, with her eyes closed and her mouth parted, clearly in pain from the headache, which, he figured, was probably going to turn into a migraine soon, and her magic reserves didn't appear to be restoring themselves.

"I'll get someone to make you a cup of chamomile tea," He eventually said, and stood to find a maid or servant to fetch one for his consort, which she could drink whilst he attended a meeting which had been planned between himself and his brothers. Ayala nodded gratefully at his offer, though she hated to feel dependant, but the pain really had begun to make her feel queasy.

She cursed in her head silently as she tried to ignore the pain. Sometimes, she really hated using magic, when it caused her such discomfort, especially now; her love for Seth had made her magic stronger, to be sure, but it also made her recovery time longer. And she didn't appreciate that one bit.

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><p><strong>Okay, just about managed to get it published on Sunday :D yay! And now I'd better go to sleep or I'll die at school tomorrow...<strong>

**One last thing, no, Ayla won't be able to create illusions to fight battles for her. To confuse enemies, perhaps, but to make a clone of herself to fight elsewhere with actual magic would be too much strain and kill her.**

**Yes, I can hear you begging me to make her do it so she dies, but no. She's too smart for that (and enjoys being alive and tormenting everyone else too much to commit suicide).**

**-SG**


	5. Chapter 5 - dedicated to blackkngth

_**"I'll get someone to make you a cup of chamomile tea," He eventually said, and stood to find a maid or servant to fetch one for his consort, which she could drink whilst he attended a meeting which had been planned between himself and his brothers. Ayla nodded gratefully at his offer, though she hated to feel dependant, but the pain really had begun to make her feel queasy.**_

_**She cursed in her head silently as she tried to ignore the pain. Sometimes, she really hated using magic, when it caused her such discomfort, especially now; her love for Seth had made her magic stronger, to be sure, but it also made her recovery time longer. And she didn't appreciate that one bit.**_

* * *

><p>Elsa frowned as she studied the world map, frowning until she knew, without a doubt, that what she was seeing was true; the faint outline of a kingdom which had disappeared for five years. She gasped involuntarily, and then her blue eyes lost their previous gleam, as she recalled the last time the Southern Isles had been seen - the day that poor Dawn had gotten ill, just a few days before her untimely passing from the sickness. She'd always been so frail, so fragile, and her life had been so fleeting, exactly like the sunrise she had been named after; a beautiful child, who should have only risen, and not fallen, but alas, such is the way of the world. Even the sun can only last so long, before the moon comes up, or a cloud blocks it out.<p>

Trying to shake off the thoughts, she sighed as she glanced back down at the map, and then realised that the other Kingdoms would want to now about the return too, if they didn't already. Hastily, she rushed over to her desk and picked up a few pieces of paper, reaching for her quill and dipping it into the ink. A tiny smiled graced her lips as she tried to picked up upon out the happy cries of her son, youngest niece and nephew as they played together out in the courtyard, no doubt chasing each-other around as they so often did, but she didn't need to look to know that Mia wasn't joining in.

She'd come around since Ayla had attacked, but she was very shaken up about the issue. The poor child had awoken with wide eyes, full of fear as she shook and sobbed, and when her Mother had foolishly approached from behind, she'd lashed out at her in fear, her magic flaring up as a beam of ice just missed causing damage. It had been a close call; Anna had acted quickly, pushing her hands out in-front of her, meaning that she could take in the magic, instead of being hurt by it. Still, Mia had only been more terrified that she'd nearly hurt her own Mother after that.

Elsa let out a breath, as her quill froze part way through writing a word, her hand shaking slightly as she recalled how she had hurt her sister at the age of eight. Her eyes closed as she attempted to regain control, and soon felt the cold retreating away, allowing her to calm down.

As she began to write again, blocking out the distracting squeals of the children outside, and the even more nagging concerns for her eldest niece's state of mind, her mind began to wander, to think about what could have caused the Southern Isles to come back; perhaps they had returned onto the map because Ayla had left to attack Arendelle, and perhaps that was why she had been so weak... Who knew? The disappearance was obviously done through magical means - she must have been exhausted and fatigued from creating a big enough spell to hide an entire kingdom for years.

Her mind wandered back to Grand Pabbie's warning about how poor Dawn's death hadn't been completely natural, how it had been somewhat influenced by wicked magic, and Elsa's eyes widened in shock as something registered in her brain - what if the day that her niece had fallen sick, the Sorceress had been here, in her kingdom! She felt her hands clench into a fist in anger, as a few large icicles suddenly jutted out from the sides of the room, and the quill in her grip quickly snapped in half. Her breathing grew heavy again, this time in anger, and she tried to calm herself, but couldn't quite manage it; her eyes grew wide as she suddenly lost control, her rage blocking out the love of her family.

The door opened quickly, shocking Elsa out of her thoughts, and making her eyes widen in fear that someone would see her weakness, and be terrified of her. She couldn't bear to have to hide away from people again, but as she thought about her current situation, she couldn't help but feel it was for the best. She was a freak, a monster, after all.

Odd stood in the doorway, at first looking just concerned, until he saw the scene in the room which made him recoil slightly in shock, which Elsa, in her distressed state, mistook for fear of her, and her eyes grew wide. She drew her hands closer to her chest, as if she could stop the magic from coming forward, but it was to no avail, of course; the air grew rapidly colder as the Queen panicked more, feeling so awful and ashamed of herself, almost like a child again. Some things would never change, after all - she'd never be accepting of being out of control.

"Woah, woah!" Odd cried out, as he began to make his way over, careful not to slip over on the increasingly icy floor. "What's wrong, Elsa?" His voice was laced with concern, and when his wife's pale face drained of the little colour left in her cheeks, he grew even more worried.

"I can't control it, Odd!" Elsa cried out in panic, "I was angry, and now I can't thaw the ice!" She winced as she watched a stalagmite suddenly spring forth from the ceiling, barely ten centimetres from where her husband was stood, and she gasped involuntarily. "Get out of here, Odd! It's not safe in here - let me get control of it!"

Odd spared a glance around the room, but to his credit only moved closer to Elsa, rather than further away. More ice began to spring up as he approached her, from her fear of hurting him ironically, but he kept going until he came to stand next to her, and gently, with palms experienced in caring for timid creatures, he took hold of her shaking hands and pushed them down from her chest slowly. He stroked his thumb across her soft skin soothingly, and he smiled at her reassuringly, holding her gaze with confidence shining in his bright green eyes.

Slowly, Elsa sighed as her breathing eased off to a slightly more normal rate, but she continued to shake in nervousness; in response, Odd was silent for a few seconds, and then began to speak.

"Come on, Elsa," He said in a quiet but assured voice, "You can control it, you know. Think of the love everyone holds for you; your sister gave herself up for you, and Freddie adores you, naturally. And I love you, too- just remember that. In fact, the whole Kingdom adores you as their Queen, a fair Queen, not just a selfish one like most are these days. A queen who looks out for her people, who loves her people, too."

Elsa didn't look convinced, but she felt herself calm down anyway, the soothing tone of Odd's voice almost like a drug, relieving her of her stresses. She closed her eyes and focused on the love those closest to her held, and she smiled slightly as she felt the temperature in the room increase - Odd gave a sigh of relief too, as his shivering, unnoticed by his distressed wife, stopped.

Though not completely thawed, Elsa smiled when she saw that most of the ice had gone, feeling s little better about herself, and she stood up slowly, before wrapping her arms around Odd's neck and burying her face in his chest. He placed his hand on the curve of her back in response and softly stroked, making her sigh from his comfort as she buried her body closer into his own, letting him hold her until she grew completely confident in her ability to thaw the ice again.

Five, perhaps even ten, minutes passed until Elsa finally let go of her husband, and then she looked up to him with questioning eyes.

"There's something you need to tell me, isn't there, Odd?" She whispered, feeling nervous again, but holding back her powers to stop them from flaring up again.

Odd nodded slowly, placing his hands on Elsa's shoulders to hold her steady. "Yes," He admitted, "It slipped my mind, though I don't know how. But... The team you sent out to incinerate the Sorceress' body couldn't... Locate her. They could only find the shape of a body in the mud, and a large puddle of water, as of something had melted."

Elsa gasped, but then her face hardened off. She couldn't let herself be so weak again.

"That monster has pushed the line," She snarled through gritted teeth, and even Odd was slightly fearful of this sudden fierceness. "Dawn's death will be her downfall, I swear." She turned to the window, and looked out with a new-found determination in her eyes. "We need to go to see the trolls, now; hurry! I won't let any more promising lives be spoiled for the sake of one woman's truly sickening schemes."

Elsa's voice was laced with confidence, the voice of a true Queen who could always find strength for the good of her people, but her thoughts were filled with doubts.

_I just wish it could be that easy._

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><p><strong>Just a quick comment I'd like to make, is that while Ayla (I guess she's technically Princess Ayla now, huh?) will have access to the goings-on within Arendelle, it'd be like a crackly telephone line; she'd be able to understand bits of it, but some things she wouldn't be able to make out, or would interpret wrong. <strong>

**Secondly, I know many of you may be a bit confused as to how Ayla can make an entire kingdom disappear for years, but wouldn't be able to hide herself for much more than an hour or two (as stated in the last chapter) so I'll enlighten you a little - but not too much! Ayla will be revealing that later on!**

**Anyway, basically, while a kingdom is massive, and as such would take a lot of energy to hide - remember that Ayla actually passed out when she first disappeared the Southern Isles? - but only needs to be hidden once. One massive payment, if you'd like, and then it's over with. ****However, with a living, breathing creature, it would need constant 'updating', as living things move and breathe and are generally harder to tamper with. Hence why it needs loads more energy.**

**Next, I was disappointed last chapter. I know it was a shorter one, but I didn't even get a quarter of my normal reviews. I get that I've lost readers between the end of FP2.5 and FP3 - Hence why I need your reviews even more. Even if you've never reviewed before, I'd appreciate if you could. As I got so few reviews last chapter, along with increased stress from my GCSE Italian and Food Tech controlled assessments, this was a short chapter I'm afraid - I hope things get better this time?**

**And finally, before anyone says anything, no, I don't consider it bad that I should ask for reviews - I spend a lot of time on these updates which I could be using differently, but I do it:**

**1) Because I enjoy it**

**2) I enjoy hearing your feedback even more!**

**Please, more reviews make me more motivated, thus making each chapter longer and better! And frankly, it isn't hard to write a few little words over a whole week... I'm not saying you have to review, but I do feel a bit cheated when people don't. Remember, guests can review too!**

**If you have any questions, please ask - I'd be happy to answer!**

**See you tomorrow, anyway - my eyes are closing and the light from my iPad is hurting now... I think I should get to sleep.**

**- SG**


	6. Chapter 6 - dedicated to OmegaMarker

_**Elsa gasped, but then her face hardened off. She couldn't let herself be so weak again.**_

_**"That monster has pushed the line," She snarled through gritted teeth, and even Odd was slightly fearful of this sudden fierceness. "Dawn's death will be her downfall, I swear." She turned to the window, and looked out with a new-found determination in her eyes. "We need to go to see the trolls, now; hurry! I won't let any more promising lives be spoiled for the sake of one woman's truly sickening schemes."**_

_**Elsa's voice was laced with confidence, the voice of a true Queen who could always find strength for the good of her people, but her thoughts were filled with doubts.**_

**I just wish it could be that easy.**

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><p><em><span>*** Note! Very urgent message at the bottom of this chapter - this involved everyone, so please, please read it! ***<span>_

Ayla smiled as she fiddled with her blonde hair, watching her son fade from view as he blended in with his surroundings. She closed her eyes and allowed him to move, to test how strong his powers were, and she felt incredibly proud when she opened them again, and was unable to see the boy. It was only when Seth sneezed that she could locate him, and even that was only because his magic wore off from the impact, which knocked his concentration.

"Well done, Kiddo," She said warmly as she ruffled her son's hair, feeling sickened at the same time that the pride behind her words didn't have to be forced. She winced inwardly when she thought at how soppy she was becoming, but tried to push it away as she hardened her exterior, trying not to appear overly-loving. Too much adoration could ruin a child, in her eyes. It was a fair enough point; Hans had had a troubled childhood, always being teased by his siblings, and now look where he was - on top of them all. She, herself, had not been all that pampered as a young girl by her own Mother with a heart of steel, and her brother, Karleif, was too self-important to even pay her any notice. He'd always been the spoilt one, and now look who had ended up better; herself, of course. The other two were dead, by Queen Elsa's hand.

It was crazy; when she'd first met Hans, she'd sworn that she wanted to join him to get revenge for her family's deaths, but frankly, she couldn't really care less about them. She just didn't want to be on the goody-two-shoes' side; she was too much of a free spirit to settle for that, not to mention she'd probably have not been trusted by the people of Arendelle for her who family were, considering they had tried to kill their ruler.

Her mind stopped its trail of thought when she heard her son's soft, quiet giggle of laughter from the praise, and she instantly snapped her hand away, her motherly affection finally wearing off - thank the Lord - as she became the strong, seasoned person which the rest of the world knew her as.

"Get back and try again, Seth. You need to work harder - if a sneeze can stop your powers, then you're too weak to even deserve them."

Seth's bright eyes, a gorgeous blend of green and blue which made them shine with curious innocence, lost the sparkle they'd developed, as the boy nodded slowly. His blonde hair fell over his face, shrouding him from his mother as he started to fade away, wanting to just curl up in a ball and cry. He never understood what he did wrong - why did the sorceress, the Mother who he never realised was his own, always criticise him so? She was so often like this; she'd praise him, then look disgusted at him just a few seconds later, and it made him feel so worthless, as if she couldn't work out whether he was worth attention or not.

Still, though, he figured he shouldn't be thinking of her that way. She and Prince Hans had gone to so much trouble to take him in when he'd been found as a baby - a story he was often reminded of - so what place did he have to question their generosity? He'd have died if it weren't for them, surely, so what did it matter if they weren't particularly adoring of him.

Still, it hurt.

Backing up, he concentrated again and shivered as he felt the strange sensation of his camouflage come over him, like water was running all over his body, and he closed his eyes so that they blended into the background too. He peeked them open slightly to see Ayla's expression, curious as to whether she looked as proud as she had before, but alas, she appeared jut as she had, and he sighed quietly; of course she wasn't, he should have known. Unless he could do something new which he'd never done before, she would pay no attention to him.

The boy's heart ached for some recognition, and he felt his concentration slip as he yearned for some love, but quickly regained his control, not wanting to let Ayla see him being so weak as to allow his emotions get the best of him. That was one of the lesson's he'd had hammered into him as a child; weakness was not to be accepted. Survival of the fittest, and all that, and what with the threat of being attacked by the cruel Queen Elsa of Arendelle now that his own kingdom was back on the map, the phrase had more meaning than ever.

The people of his enemy would not hesitate in an attack, that much he knew about them; they would spare none, not even a small boy such as himself, so if he wanted to survive the inevitable battle, he had to be in top form. Especially considering the fact that he'd be in the middle of the battle - though Hans and Ayla had said that it hurt them to even consider it, they would have to send him in to do undercover work when he got better control of his abilities. It was a small price to pay for the safety of an entire kingdom, but he was definitely terrified, as were his 'adopted' parents, or so they said. They didn't look all that pained at the suggestion - though Ayla was certainly more nervous about it than Hans - but that didn't mean anything. They were royalty, one born and one made, so they had to be strong and keep their emotions under control...

Right?

He winced as a small bolt of electricity, feeling like a rather strong electric shock, hit his body, never seeing the light blue bolt of light sent at him by Ayla as he had closed his eyes to keep . He let out a yelp, and let his camouflage fade away from the surprise and the pain; opening his blue-green eyes cautiously, his heart fell at the disapproving look his adoptive Mother was sending him.

"Why didn't you dodge!" She snapped at him, looking completely furious at him, and Seth whimpered slightly under her glare, which only intensified at his display of weakness. Though still shaken and scared, he quickly amended his stance, standing a little straighter to appear more confident, and Ayla's expression softened in the slightest, her scathing look simmering down to a less furious one.

"I couldn't see," Seth said quietly, not mumbling - for he'd had that habit broken at a young age. Ayla's glare then morphed into one of puzzlement, as she frowned at him.

"Why on earth couldn't you see?" She said, her tone harsh and full of annoyance. "Did you have your eyes closed or something else stupid like that?"

Seth tried to control the whimpers which were threatening to resurface as he nodded hesitantly, refusing to meet his Mother's cold blue eyes. Ayla regarded him scornfully, folding her arms in anger.

"You had your eyes closed!" Her voice was shrill as frustration overtook her, and Seth did back up a little bit. "Why would you close your eyes! If you were going undercover, then you could have been killed if anyone detected your presence!"

Seth tried to keep his voice steady as he attempted to answer Ayla, stuttering slightly in fear of her temper, for she was far from weak. "I... I can't camouflage my eyes." He said quietly. "You'd see me if I had my eyes open."

Ayla's expression softened when her son had a valid excuse, and she sighed. ''You'd better work on that, then." She said, and Seth's eyes widened in surprise at her sudden calmness. He'd expected a long rant about how he ought to be more careful, so her seeming lack of frustration - even if her words were still sharp and cutting - made him feel suddenly determined to succeed, and he clenched his fists in concentration.

The familiar, slightly unpleasant sensation of something cold trickling down his sides, as the camouflage began to take effect; when it was fully functional, he let out a grunt as he clenched his fists in concentration, keeping those bright blue-green eyes open as he tried to get the camouflage to spread to the orbs, the strain of trying to get them to change colour exhausting. He winced as he began to feel pain; first his palms and toes, then it spread to his chest and finally his face; he felt tears streaming down his cheeks as his eyes suddenly began to burn, and then let the camouflage fall when the pain became unbearable.

He collapsed on the floor, weakened, and something hot and sticky began to run down the sides of his face, alongside the droplets of woe, and he gasped in fear as he began to shake. He could hear Ayla's gasp as she rushed over quickly, kneeling down beside him, but when he looked up at her he couldn't make her out; all he could see was a hazy red image, which was blurred and un-interperatable.

"Help me, Mama!" He cried out in-between agonised sobs, and Ayla didn't dare correct him for calling her that in his current, panicked state. She tried to calm him down to help heal his wounds, but the child was thrashing about wildly in pain, and in the end, she had to resort to using magic to restrain him. He whined and moaned in pain all the while, but she couldn't be put off by this; her heart ached with the motherly need to comfort him, but she had to stay calm.

With shaking hands, feeling guilty that she'd pushed her own son so far that he hurt himself so badly, she placed them above his bloody eyes, pushing her magic out to heal him, to stop the bleeding, but it wasn't easy. It took at least ten, perhaps fifteen seconds for the red lifeblood to slow down in its flowing, let alone stop, and by the time that it had, Seth had broken free from the magical bonds holding him down and had been thrashing around madly, trying to escape from the pain.

Eventually, Seth's movements stilled as he finally slipped into unconsciousness, and Ayla was able to finish healing up the best she could; his eyes had stopped bleeding and she'd put most of her energy into them to stop them from being permanently damaged, but the rest of his body didn't fare so well. The strain from fighting against his bonds had broken his wrist and left him bruised and battered, and his breathing was shallow, but he was okay.

Feeling incredibly weak herself, she stood up and then scooped the limp boy into her arms, struggling to not collapse on her shaking legs as she tried to carry the child as well. She struggled over to the door to the small lounge in which the pair had been working and, with great effort, opened the door slowly, creeping out into the halls in fatigue.

Slowly, she began to make her way down the corridor to the stairs, and she felt her heart drop from her chest when she saw the climb before her. Groaning, she forced her legs to keep going, feeling ridiculously fatigued from what shouldn't have been all that much work - but then again, she'd had to go to a lot of effort to both keep Seth still and try and heal him at the same time, and she'd been scared on top of all of that, so was it that surprising?

Rejecting many offers of help from passing servants and maids as she slaved her way through the corridors to Seth's bedroom, she dropped the boy down on his bed in relief as he legs finally gave way, and she watched her son laying there, his breathing slow and shallow, but still there.

As she watched him, she felt her heart burn with grief at the thought that she'd done this to him; she'd pushed him. She could have killed him, for all she knew.

And her motherly instinct kicked in once again, as she began to sob over the son who she both loved and loathed, eventually falling asleep as she sat on the floor, her head resting upon her boy's mattress.

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><p><strong>First, in response to Turkish Delight (a guest review - I'm sure Mia would love your name, by the way!) no, I'm afraid you won't be able to see the kids as teenagers in this story - at least I very much doubt it. That'd be five years away for Mia still, so it'd be a bit unrealistic, unless the story went on for thousands of chapters xD<strong> **Who knows, though - if the story stays semi-popular through to the end, then maybe I'll do a couple of future chapters...**

**Second, I was still a little disappointed last chapter. I got just a couple of reviews more than before, which ****wasn't what I was hoping for, but better.**

**However, I'll put it bluntly - I need reviews more than ever right now. I know, I know, I always say this, but hear me out; I have mock exams coming up in two weeks time, and won't have time to write during the week. This leaves me two options; update next friday, and then wait two weeks between the update, which I doubt will be all that popular, or get two chapters written next week to have one available to post during my exams.**

**Before, this would have been manageable - when I was getting more reviews, I could write two chapters a week, but now that I'm getting less than half what I did before, it's hard to even write one. **

**So it's up to you guys - either don't review, and have to wait two weeks for the chapter to be updated, or review and I'll get it updated in time. Personally, I'd prefer the first option - I'm not asking much, even a sentence will do. If I could get a short comment from each reviewer, then hell, I'd probably kill off Ayla in an instant and make everyone happy... Well, okay, maybe not, but I'd be able to write so much easier! Who knows... I could even get the week after's one done!**

**So, please review? Here's an idea to help: what did you think of a more loving-Ayla? Bet you never saw her crying over her son, eh?**

**See you in a review!**

**-SG**


	7. Chapter 7 - dedicated to KLime (guest)

_**Rejecting many offers of help from passing servants and maids as she slaved her way through the corridors to Seth's bedroom, she dropped the boy down on his bed in relief as he legs finally gave way, and she watched her son laying there, his breathing slow and shallow, but still there.**_

_**As she watched him, she felt her heart burn with grief at the thought that she'd done this to him; she'd pushed him. She could have killed him, for all she knew.**_

_**And her motherly instinct kicked in once again, as she began to sob over the son who she both loved and loathed, eventually falling asleep as she sat on the floor, her head resting upon her boy's mattress.**_

* * *

><p>"Papa!" Freddie's voice was loud and clear as he banged his head on his desk, looking frustrated, his expression fixed in a scowl of confusion and annoyance. "Papa, help me do this work!"<p>

Odd chuckled in amusement at his son, wondering how on earth the two could be so different; growing up, he'd have given everything he had (which, granted, wasn't all that much) to go to school, but it wasn't to be, for only the rich went to school during the reign of King Agdar and his wife, Queen Idun. Elsa was, however, working to change that now; after the 'everlasting winter' fiasco, she had immediately set about trying to win favour with her people, and one of the new things she had established was the public schooling. Though still in early days, thirteen years after the project's conception, there were now a few completed establishments scattered around the kingdom, and now doubt there would be more in years to come.

Still, when he thought about it, it was only natural that his son - and youngest niece and nephew - would be opposed to their tutoring, because it wasn't their choice to attend lessons. It was compulsory for them, so of course they weren't going to share his enthusiasm about it - aside from Mia, of course, who adored learning, perhaps because it was such a quiet thing to do. The poor child always preferred relaxed activities than rough-and-tumble ones, so it made sense.

"Hold up there, Freddie," He said, with an amused grin plastered upon his face. He made his way over quickly to help the boy out, knowing that the child's current level would probably be low enough for him to offer aid. He could solve a problem relating to logic any day, for his common-sense really was second to none, and he could think practically when such skills were needed. However, when it came to mathematical or scientific knowledge, he really was hopeless; as a child, he'd never learnt past simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. He could work out some more complex things, such as basic algebraic problems, because really, that fell into the category of logic; however, questions requiring more knowledge of how maths worked were too much of a stretch for him to achieve.

It wasn't that he was unintelligent, and he'd certainly _tried_ to learn, but it hadn't gone well; he simply couldn't seem to gather how things worked, but he was talented in other, more practical areas.

"It's these questions," Freddie said grumpily when Odd reached him, as he frowned at his work again, trying to make sense of the maths which was leaving him feeling muddled. "They're so confusing!" He gestured to the paper, his quill hovering over the page, still, and a drop of ink fell from the nib onto the sheet below. It landed with a splash on the paper, leaving a rather large blotch amidst the neat writing. "Oops," He muttered quietly, making him feel even more fed up with the task at hand.

"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad!" Odd teased with a grin, as he looked down at the homework, and let out a sigh when he noticed it was quite simple; Freddie'd already completed the first half of the homework - multiplication revision - and now he had to practice with basic fractions, a skill which Odd knew he could do. Fractions were a common part of everyday life, so he'd learned the basics on his own, as a boy. His Mother had only taught him the very first rules before he'd run away, but he'd been able to work out how it worked over the years.

"Hey, that's not all that difficult, Freddie. What's the matter?" He pulled over a chair quickly, and sat down to help his son, pulling out a piece of paper from a draw under the desk to demonstrate how to do it.

Fredrik shrugged slightly in response to his father's question, lounging back in his chair as he pointed to the first question. "I don't get it." He said, simply. "I mean, Sir explained to me and Mia how to do it, but I didn't understand it, and Mi' said she won't explain it to me."

Odd frowned in puzzlement. "She won't explain to you?" He repeated, unsure, and Fredrik shook his head, huffing.

"No, she said that I should have understood it the first time round." He said in frustration, "But I don't see why she wouldn't explain it to me! She loves helping me with my work normally!"

Odd thought for a moment about the boy's statement, then an idea struck him. "Why didn't you understand it, then, Freddie?" He said, his eyes glinting with a knowing, amused gleam. Fredrik folded his arms and shrugged slightly before replying.

"Well, I guess I forgot to listen." He said, his voice emotionless, conveying his lack of concern. "But... I stayed awake through this lesson. I fell asleep through last one- Sir's voice really is boring. He just goes on, and on, and onnn..." Freddie let his voice trail off, emphasising his point as he rolled his eyes, and his father chuckled.

"That's not the attitude to have," He scolded in mock seriousness, but he couldn't stay angry at the boy for being so slack in his lessons, when he realised that he _did_ still do well in all - well, most - of the tests his tutor set him and Mia, so he obviously did catch up after the lesson. "Come on, let's see what we can do, hmm? Your Mother will be out of her meeting soon, anyway, and then we'll be heading out to the mountains for lunch."

Freddie frowned. "Why d'we need to go all the way up there?" He moaned, and Odd rolled his eyes in amusement.

"A bit of fresh, mountain air never did anyone any harm." He replied gently, then took the quill out of his son's hands, noting the now-quite-large blotch of ink on the paper, which had grown in size as they'd talked. Freddie groaned when he noticed it.

"Argh, Mia's gonna kill me!" He cried, frowning. "It's really quite scary when the room freezes up."

"True, true." Odd nodded in agreement, "Your Mother's the same - but they won't actually hurt you, unless they're terrified, so just don't scare them, basically." His eyes shone with humour. "Why on earth would Mia want to kill you, anyway?"

Fredrik gestured absently to the spilled ink. "I'm not bothered about being completely neat, but she always gets annoyed when my work's not perfect." He frowned, and Odd grinned as a thought occurred to him. Taking the quill, he dipped it in the spilled ink, and dragged the liquid outwards, making a swirled pattern around the edge. He smiled as he worked for a few seconds, until an intricate image had been created from the mess.

Freddie grinned at the work. "Thanks, Papa!" He said, looking pleased. He'd have to re-write the work that had been hidden, but at the very least it wasn't quite so ugly now; perhaps it was unfortunate, but there was, at least, a small bright side to it.

Odd nodded at his son, by way of saying 'you're welcome', and then leaned over the work again.

"Come on then, you," He said, grinning. "Let's get this homework done, or we'll run out of time before lunch, and you've got tutor again at four."

Fredrik groaned, and buried his head in his hands. "Boo-hoo."

* * *

><p>"Oh, come on, come on, come on, Mi!" Kari whined as she sat in the sledge with her twin and Freddie, and Seier, who was curled up next to them. "Just do it already!"<p>

Mia frowned at her younger sister severely, her gaze easily reading 'no'. "Have you asked Auntie Elsa?" She said sternly, frustrated with the younger girl's actions.

"No..." Kari said sullenly, pouting her lips and folding her arms. "But you can do it! Make me an ice pony! Please! Please! Please! Auntie Elsa can do it, so you can do it too!"

Mia groaned, as she used her right leg to gently push Lysse further away from the sledge, and her ever-frustrating sister. "No, Kari." She said without emotion, her tone flat and empty, which clearly conveyed her determined decision to not give in. "Mama and Papa have only just bought you a foal- you're not big enough to go riding on a full grown horse yet."

"You had Lysse when you were two, Mi!" She retorted grumpily, her loud cries drawing the attention of her mother and father, who watched in amusement. Anna slowed Misty down a little so that the sled could catch up, and smiled sweetly at her youngest.

"Ah, but then we could trust Mia then more than we trust you. You'll go off bombi.g everywhere; your sister, at least, has some self control when she's riding. Besides, Papa and I were inexperienced back then- how were we to know that Mi was too young, hmm?"

Kari pouted again in frustration, her ever-present temper bubbling to the surface again. "Fine." She snapped, and turned away from both her sister and Mother, instead opting to just look out of the back of the sledge. Freddie and Thomas laughed at her antics, grinning at each other, amused.

"Oh, come on, Kari!" Thomas teased, "You have a yearling back at home- just because you haven't started training him yet, doesn't mean you can take it out on Mia!"

"I can't ride him yet, Tom!" She snarled, "He's too young! Papa said so himself!"

"You can always teach him to pull a small cart though." Thomas pointed out helpfully, and Kari huffed, as she tried to think of something to reply with. Seier whined at the two's constant arguing, burying his head in his paws, before it shot back up with sudden interest, his ears flicking about, then laying flat back as a very low, unheard growl escaped his lips.

Mia, growing bored of listening, simply urged Lysse to trot up to the others in front, much preferring not to argue, but it got her thinking. She'd been riding Lysse since she was just a calf, but then Mia had been tiny then too, so she could easily hold her weight. Reindeer were much stockier and more sturdy than the average horse, after all, even the typical Fjords that the rest of her family owned.

Lost in her thoughts, Mia didn't notice the small group creeping up behind her, and no one noticed Seier's growls and tense posture, either, for he was sat behind the twins and Freddie. Lysse made no reaction, unable to hear over Kari and Thomas' bickering. However, a sudden yell of surprise and pain quickly drew everyone's attention, and the group spun, wide eyed, to see an arrow lodged in Freddie's shoulder, blood staining his white shirt. He writhed as he tried to remove it, letting out an even more blood-curdling scream as he did.

The blood dripped down onto the edge of the seat, first just a single drop, landing with a splash, and then another, another, another, until the red liquid stained a pattern of swirls and splashes onto the wood below. A macabre artistic piece.

"Freddie!" Elsa cried in absolute terror as the boy crumpled to the floor of the sledge, where Thomas and Kari were now curled up, whimpering in fear., with Seier stood over them protectively. The horses began to jump about nervously, and Mia backed up close to her father, sure he'd protect her from anyone out there. She could hear her heart pounding, and with each cry of pain from Freddie, she felt herself being drawn back into her memories, as she recalled the sound of her own screams, echoing around the cave. It wasn't long before she completely lost herself, and she passed out, Lysse catching her before she hit the ground, luckily, and then curling up around her protectively when she lay the child down upon the still snowy floor, even though it was now the start of February. Kristoff and Sven remained with them, while Anna hurried to her sister's side.

It didn't take long for the group to stop the blood flow from the wound, as Elsa wrapped it tightly in an icy bandage, creating a small flurry to keep it intact, as Freddie finally passed out from the pain, finally being given the smallest of relief. It was then that it finally occurred to the group that he'd been shot, and that there was someone else out here.

Seier's growls could now be heard easily as everyone grew silent, and he let out a very guttural bark of warning, not quite able to replicate the sounds that dogs made, but close. A dark chuckle soon resounded through the air.

"Well, hello there." A silkily rough voice rang out harshly across the wind, and Odd winced outwardly, his eyes widening. "It's been long enough; I was wondering when I would get to meet my delightful Grandson..." The chuckle was deeper this time, even harsher. "I guess shooting him in the shoulder wasn't the best introduction, but what can I say? He'll certainly remember what I did to him, at least."

Odd snarled in anger. The man let out a pleased laugh.

"What's wrong, boy?" He said, his deceptively cheerful tone contrasting with the sharpness of the words he spoke. "Are you not happy to see me once again?"

Odd's harsh reply was anything but hard to say. "Not in the slightest, Arne." He spat out, "You are no Father of mine."

Arne seemed extremely please with this little sentence from his son. "Oh, I couldn't agree more, boy." He said coldly, his icy words like daggers to the heart. "I'm not your Father, I am your master. And you will obey me once more."

* * *

><p><strong>First, in response to a guest review about whether Odd ever got Storm Chaser back, no, he didn't, but you'll actually find out what happened to him next chapter, so hold on.<strong>

**Second, before anyone asks why Freddie and Mia both have lessons with the same tutor, instead of Mia being at a higher level, I figured it just made more sense; Mia would have picked up on things quicker, because she actually enjoys learning, so she's a good companion for Freddie to have. It would be a bit of a depressing ****lesson, after all, if there was only one student and one teacher!**

**Third, dun dun dun, Arne's back! (For those of you who don't remember, Arne is Odd's father, which you probably gathered). We'll be seeing a bit more of him next chapter!**

**Regarding updates, I didn't get enough reviews last chapter to give me the motivation to write two chapters, just the once, so... There may not be an update next Friday. Keep an eye out for a chapter, but if there isn't one, then it means I didn't get time to write it in the end.**

**Please leave a review - if I'm going to be updating next Friday, I'm going to need the extra support.**

**Here's a challenge for you to think about ; what is going to happen regarding Arne andOdd next chapter? What do you want to see? Leave your comments!**

**Thanks guys, I love you all!**

**-SG**


	8. Chapter 8 - dedicated to blackkngth

_**Odd snarled in anger. The man let out a pleased laugh.**_

_**"What's wrong, boy?" He said, his deceptively cheerful tone contrasting with the sharpness of the words he spoke. "Are you not happy to see me once again?"**_

_**Odd's harsh reply was anything but hard to say. "Not in the slightest, Arne." He spat out, "You are no Father of mine."**_

_**Arne seemed extremely please with this little sentence from his son. "Oh, I couldn't agree more, boy." He said coldly, his icy words like daggers to the heart. "I'm not your Father, I am your master. And you will obey me once more."**_

* * *

><p>Elsa reached down to pick up her son, cradling him protectively in her arms as she breathed quickly in fear, calming down slightly when she realised that the child was still breathing in his unconscious state, and then a peculiar, completely out-of-the-blue sense of confidence came over her, mixing with her unease in a strange blend of emotion; she stood up straighter and glared at Arne, her blue eyes glinting the same shade of silver as the blade of a knife, icy and deadly. She felt her heart rate increase as she felt her power flare up inside of her, and she readied herself for any more attempts of attack from the psychotic man before her; her heart ached at the prospect of hurting anyone, but the doubt was gone from her head instantly, the second she noticed the simply evil ambitions in him. The way his eyes shone with pleasure, the relaxed stance he now stood with, all suggested his absolute thrill at bringing about pain.<p>

"Don't come any closer." Elsa said loudly, her voice strong, but threatening to waver from fear at the same time. It wasn't that she was scared of the man before her, really - though he was undoubtedly not weak, she felt she could hold her own against him - but she wasn't so sure whether the children could stay safe on their own. They had Seier, certainly, but if anything happened to him they'd be completely defenceless. That being said, Kari did pack a powerful punch for her age, and in the right places, it could do some damage.

"Scared, Your Highness?" Arne said, the sarcasm dripping slowly from his voice. The derisive tone made Elsa wince slightly, her heart plummeting into the depths of her chest, as she allowed old insecurities take over. The sound of his voice mocking her hung around in her ears, replaying over and over again in the half-second she was stunned for; they made her feel negligible, as if no one needed her around- as if she were disposable.

But then she felt Odd's hand slip into hers, and as he roughly locked their fingers together, she could almost feel his desire to attack his Father; his want to rush over to him, claw and kick and get revenge for all the times he'd abused Ida, or Heidi and her tiny daughter, and as revenge for his own pains, too.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Anna's nervous glances her way, assessing the situation, looking frightful of what could happen, and she felt the need rise in her own chest to protect her own; though not weak, her sister couldn't take on a whole group of men by herself.

And even as Kristoff came her way, laying Mia down next to her brother and sister for Seier to look after, she could see the way he looked at her concernedly. His large, circular brown eyes ere pleading with her to look after herself, both for her own sake, for she was almost like a sister to him now, but also for the sake of Anna, who'd undoubtedly crumble without her.

She clenched her free fist in anger that she'd allowed Arne to get to her, and she stood a little taller.

"Don't be a fool, Arne." She said, her voice flat but filled with her disdain, just as his words had been before. She watched him with piercing, perceptive eyes, charting every breath that he took. The man before her was slightly taken aback by the comment, but he made no move to heed her request; instead, he lifted his foot slowly, as if he were teasing her, and then took a step forward. One, two, three steps, until he was just a few metres away. He revealed pearly white fangs as he pulled his lips back in a grin of self-confidence, as he stalked her, coming closer and closer with his pack behind him, looking just as fearless and arrogant as their alpha.

"Get back!" She snarled at him as he disobeyed her, and with her free hand, she sent a bright beam of her powers towards the man, who simply laughed as it smashed against the ground, a sheet of ice jutting from the floor straight up towards him. His malicious grin grew even wider as he let out a second, even deeper laugh, it's genuinely amused sound sending shivers of unease down the spines of anyone close enough to hear.

Seier's teeth were bared as he growled threateningly, his hackles raised as he stood tall over Kari and Thomas protectively; and Mia too, when Kristoff came over to lay her with her brother and sister, until she came around. His white fangs glinted alongside the equally white snow, stained in spots with splashes of blood, and as the wolf pulled back his upper lip, revealing gum, his grey ears, tinted with black at the edges, flattened to the back on his head. He lifted his foot from the bottom of the sledge, very slightly, preparing to move. It was second nature for a wolf to attack a threat; it was only his human upbringing which made him hold back, await the command which he was itching to adhere to.

Elsa's face hardened as her target dodged her attack, not believing that he'd managed it when the strike had been so quick. She sent a second shot of power his way, the ice jutting up from both sides of him and he glanced both ways for a second before rushing forward, just a moment before the ice would have impaled his blackened, hate-plagued heart.

As the ice thawed, Arne clucked his tongue in mocking disapproval of her, saying "Tut, tut," as he slunk backwards, retreating into the shadows once more, hiding him from view partially. His body could be made out, but it was quickly impossibly to discern where his men had now gone to. Elsa reached out to her sister and pulled her closer, and Kristoff wrapped his arms around his Princess protectively too when he noticed that he'd lost track of Arne's pack of men. Odd stepped closer to his wife and son also, standing right by her side to have the ability to protect her from both an attack by Arne, and from ambush behind.

Arne watched with interest as his son moved closer to his wife, his eyes burning with rage clearly, even in the sudden darkness which had fallen across the forests, and he felt himself grinning again.

"You tell me not to be foolish, my dear Queen." He said slowly, choosing his words carefully to turn her own words upon her. "But I do believe that it is, in fact, you who has been the foolish one. After all, you are a royal; surely it would be sensible to bring along guards on your excursions?" He chuckled darkly for surely the umpteenth time that afternoon, and his eyes locked with his son's in a lethal stare, challenging him, mocking him.

Odd's eyes widened as he heard a slight whistling behind him; he turned to look, and let out a breath as he felt something solid connect with the side of his head, and his body crumpled to the floor from the impact. Elsa let out a cry of surprise as she felt her husband's hand suddenly slip out of hers, and then her legs gave way as she felt a similar projectile - a simple stone - hit her forehead. She had just time to spin around as she fell so as to land on her back and not crush Fredrik's small body under her own weight, before she was completely unconscious as well.

Anna let out a muffled cry of terror, and she desperately reached out for her terrified son and daughter, quickly scooping them up into her arms and cradling them close, while Mia, still in a faint, was quickly gathered up by her Father. She frantically tried to find a way to distract the men attacking them, still concealed in shadows at least four or five metres away, but to no avail; she rushed instinctively into Kristoff's arms as a large bola was released, but the attacker hadn't been aiming right at her. The projectile entangled itself around the pair's legs, leaving them also collapsed on the floor in a heap. Thomas whimpered quietly in fear while Kari made no noise, but her face was scrunched up as she willed herself to not react.

Two high pitched bleats of pain and horror erupted from the opposite side of the cart, as poor Lysse and Sven were dragged by multiple large, muscular men towards the rest of the group, ropes around their necks tightly, cutting in and sure to rub painfully. Deafening cries of alarm then echoed around the area from the three remaining horses as they, too, were lassoed and ruthlessly hauled to the front of the sledge.

Seier growled deeply as he watched the treatment of Anna and hers, the closest thing he'd ever had to a Mother- ever since she killed his natural dam as a puppy, now eight years ago. With his ears pressed flatter than should even be possible, he leaped out of the ledge and down onto the snow below, tearing towards the men in the shadows.

The haunting sound of a gunshot reverberated around the clearing; a howl of great pain followed soon after, as Seier tenderly lifted his paw off of the ground.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The blood stained the snowy covering just as Freddie's had marked the wood, and in his moment of shock and distraction, he felt himself be lifted from the ground.

"Seier!" Anna's shrill cry for her best animal-friend was almost as haunting as the gunshot, and the wolf let out a loud whine of 'I'm sorry' in response, but he wasn't quite done fighting; even as his wound was covered, to stem the blood flow - an act neither Kristoff nor Anna could understand the purpose of - he continued to writhe and snap. His efforts paid off eventually when Arne came forwards to tie his mouth shut, and he succeeded in getting the smallest bit of revenge. His jaw clamped down upon the man's flesh and he pulled back, tearing away enough skin and muscle to reveal bone in places of Arne's arm.

The man shrieked at the pain, and was quick to finish tying up the rope around his mouth, before throwing him to the ground roughly, saddenned when he hadn't broken bone.

"Time to get out of here," He said soon after, through gritted teeth,his voice higher-pitched than usual from the pain. Anna and Kristoff had, by now, been blindfolded, as had the conscious children, and Elsa and Odd were still unconscious.

"Move out."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, so exams weren't quite as bad as I expected, and I couldn't bear to lose any more readers by waiting two weeks, so I had to write another chapter. This one wasn't quite as long as the other chapters, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!<strong>

**Anyway, I'd really like a few more reviews, so for this chapter, I'm reintroducing an old favourite- a challenge!**

**Using the following letters, come up with four words:**

**P A I N**

**For example:**

**P owner**

**A nger**

**I ce**

**N emises**

**But try to choose your own! I'll try to include as many as I can in the next chapter - but I'll only include suggestions if you give a chapter comment too! A sentence will do, but if you want to participate in the challenge, "Nice chapter" isn't quite enough.**

**Hopefully we'll get a lot of entrants - and remember, the faster you review, the more likely it is that I will put your words into the chapter!**

**- (A really really really tired) SG**


	9. Chapter 9 - dedicated to Pabulover123

_**The man shrieked at the pain, and was quick to finish tying up the rope around his mouth, before throwing him to the ground roughly, saddenned when he hadn't broken bone.**_

_**"Time to get out of here," He said soon after, through gritted teeth,his voice higher-pitched than usual from the pain. Anna and Kristoff had, by now, been blindfolded, as had the conscious children, and Elsa and Odd were still unconscious.**_

_**"Move out."**_

* * *

><p>Elsa moaned quietly as her eyes fluttered open heavily, her head pounding uncomfortably, feeling like her skin had been torn open and then roughly pushed back together. She sat up slowly, wincing at the way her body protested at moving, and she tried to ignore the way her very soul seemed to ache, as her wrists moaned and complained in discomfort; her head swam as she pushed herself up completely, and she drew in deep breaths of the murky, stuffy air in the room. It tickled and scratched her throat as she breathed it in, and she coughed a few times from thee irritation.<p>

"Elsa!" A quiet, seemingly relieved whisper came from across the room, and the Queen winced at how loud it sounded, making her ears ring out, but the sound was reassuring; her sister was alive, and seemingly okay.

Anna coughed in the darkness, and Elsa frowned. Maybe not quite so well - she was here, after all.

As she looked around in the darkness, trying to locate her sister, she took a note of her surroundings. The room was all but pitch black, only illuminated slightly by a small sliver of light which leaked in over the top of the door, through small crack above the thick wood; the limited glow allowed Elsa to assess the room she was in further, to an extent. The walls were made of dirt, as was the ceiling, which gave her reason to believe they were currently underground; on the sides of the chamber, thick - but old - wooden planks covered the majority of the space, and from the damp smell they gave off, they were evidently rotted. As she regained the ability of sight, her eyes adjusting to the near-total darkness, she figured that the room couldn't be any more than five metres, by five metres. This realisation of the room's size made her feel nervous, gave her a sense of claustrophobia.

She looked down, and noticed, for the first time, that the floor was covered in a fairly thick layer of straw, and she felt a little reassured that it would help to keep her family warm; though it didn't bother her, she could feel the way the stagnant air nipped at her skin, taking away her heat. If the straw hadn't been there, they'd surely have frozen to death by now.

Next to her, she could see Odd's still unconscious form, and in the other corner, her sister, along with Kristoff and the children, were all huddled together, except for Mia, who was sat slightly to the side, rocking back and forth, humming a haunted melody under her breath very, very quietly. Unable to get her legs to co-operate and find the strength to stand, Elsa slowly crawled over to them, feeling quite pathetic at doing so, but unable to move any other way.

"Anna!" She whispered in relief, as she reached her sister and enveloped her in a massive hug in relief that she seemed okay, at least physically, but she winced at the pressure on her wrists when she did so, and withdrew. In her sister's arms, she could see her son laying there, writhing in pain as moans escaped his lips, and the sound was haunting, ripping her heart into shreds of guilt that she hadn't been there to help him.

"Shush, shush, Freddie," She said gently, as she reached out her hand to stroke the boy's hair away from his face, but then pulled back quickly when she saw a glove there. She frowned, and moved her hand into the then beam of light - something she instantlwy wished she hadn't done. Both of her wrists were swollen and bloody, and the gloves had been stitched onto her skin ruthlessly, no doubt causing the pain from earlier, which she had then ignored.

Trying not to think too much about it, she reached out for her son again, and pulled him into her lap, refusing to let the horrid stinging of her hands stop her from trying to reassure her son, who would be in much, much worse pain than she. Slowly rocking him in her lap, as she had done when he was a baby, his whines quietened slightly at his Mother's touch, but he didn't fall asleep, did not get the respite Elsa had hoped would be given to him.

"What happened?" She whispered to Anna and Kristoff slowly, unable to find strength just yet to talk with any more volume. As she softly brushed the hair away from Freddie's face, Anna tried to respond, though her voice was shaking as she talked about what had happened.

"I don't really know..." She said quietly, and tried to think how to formulate a reply. "They haven't said much to us; after you and Odd passed out, they blindfolded me and Kristoff, and the children, and brought us here. I'm not sure about Sven, or Lysse, or Seier and the horses, either - unless I'm mistaken, I think they're outside. But... I have a feeling I know where we are; do you remember when you were trapped in the mountain by Karleif, when Mia was born?"

Elsa nodded sullenly, and Anna could just about see the response in the dimly lit cell. "Well, unless I'm much mistaken, we stayed in this house at one point..." Anna frowned as she thought over the memories, her expression turning slightly more somber. "Mind you, the man of the house _did_ try to kill us." She laughed very quietly, descending into a short coughing fit soon afterwards. She continued once her throat had cleared itself of the harsh debris which had settled there. "Eh. It's always the ones who you least expect to be the sick people, isn't it?"

Kristoff, sat next to her, nudged her side, but his face was void of any happiness, as he longed to know the fate of his best friend. "You forget where we are currently sat, and whose fault it is that we're here." His whispered, scratchy words held a sarcastic tone, and though it was hard to see, he'd folded his arms and raised his eyebrows at his own comment.

"Fair point," Anna's weak voice replied, "Arne did seem like a psychopath, right from the start, so I guess that proved me wrong."

Elsa felt a slight smile tug at the edges of her lips at that comment, but it quickly fell soon after as the heavy mood hanging in the air crashed over her head again, washing her moment of amusement away in a tidal wave of depression. "What else happened?" She asked slowly, trying not to breathe in too much of the noxious air; no more than was absolutely necessary. As it was, her lungs were already experiencing a slight burning sensation.

Anna opened her mouth to speak, but only coughed again from the foul air, and she looked to her husband pleadingly, begging him to take over; he quickly took up the role of answering for her. "We don't really know what's going on." He said in his dry voice, the words uncharacteristically rough sounding. Though he worked with ice, a substance which all would admit was dangerously beautiful, he was possibly the gentlest man one could ever meet. Threaten his family, though, and he could be a force of nature even more powerful than a magic-wielder, a trait he shared with Odd. He was dangerous for his strength and power; Odd was perhaps even more so for his quick wit and sharpness .

"We were dragged down here, and then locked in," He continued slowly, but his words were completely lifeless; he paused as Elsa coughed quietly, before he carried on again. "They didn't say much to us - other than the odd 'shut up' here and there, but they did say one thing which was interesting." His voice was growing strained now, the musty air scratching his throat too much, and he frowned. Elsa shook her head quickly to get him to stop speaking, not wanting him to completely lose his voice, making her head swim as she did so.

A quiet scuffling came as Mia crawled forwards, and Elsa felt a deep sense of horror when she saw that her niece's hands were just as bloody and swollen as her own, a pair of gloves held in place. Even in the darkness, you could see the way her eyes were red and puffy- whether she was crying from pain, or from fear, or for the loss of her friend, it was unknown, but the sight made Elsa's heart ache.

"They said," the child whispered, her voice shaking slightly at being cooped up in a prison again. "That they would break us. That they need our blood." Her cough rang through the still air, and she then bowed her head, scuttled backwards to resume rocking back and forth, as she had been doing before.

"Blood..." Elsa whispered, frowning as her own memories resurfaced, but she didn't say anything more as Freddie had begun to moan again in her arms, and she tried to cool his wound with her magic, hoping some of the cold could radiate through the gloves and calm him.

No such luck.

Elsa's head spun as she heard rustling straw behind her, and noticed that Odd had begun to awaken; she let out a sigh of relief that he was okay, and, having to resist the urge to crawl over to him - for the matter was that Freddie needed her more than her husband did - she settled for scooting a little closer, trying to smile at him, though this probably went unnoticed in the gloomy room. He let out a moan as he sat up straighter, and glanced around blankly for a few seconds until he regained his thoughts.

"Where are we?" He said in a dull voice, choking suddenly on the stale, musty air. After his coughing fit cleared, he turned to Elsa for a reply, coming closer to try and hear her better - as it was, his ears were rather out-of-tune at the moment, not quite working and only giving him an unclear, fuzzy understanding of what was being said.

Elsa, still a little unclear, replied, "I'm not entirely sure," in a quiet voice, and then she turned to Anna, praying that she'd answer for her, which she did.

"We're at Eva and Lars' old house- do you remember them?" A short cough resonated around the room, this time from Kari, and Anna paused, her voice not loud enough to be heard over the noise. "They had an underground house, and Lars tried to kill me, Kristoff and Mia in the night."

In the blackness, Odd's eyes appeared to glow in anger as he clenched his fists. "Yes, I remember." He said quietly, trying not to let old angers resurface. His lips, however, we're pursed together tightly, and Elsa had to place her hand gently on his shoulder to calm him. He quickly noticed that instead of skin, he felt material, but his still-foggy mind didn't question it.

Elsa's whispered words helped to soothe him, though their tone was completely flat and dull, neither reassuring or concerning. However, the news she delivered, which took a few seconds to fully register in Odd's mind, was anything but calming, and he quickly tensed up again when the meaning of the words was realised. "In short," She began, "They've captured us, and are now planning to use us, I would wager." She cleared her throat slightly as the bleak air began to clog up her airways, before she finished. "They want to break us - and for you, Arne seems honest in his desire to be your master."

Odd didn't say anything, but his silence was enough to get his message across- he didn't have anything to say to it. In the seconds of absolute quiet, slightly disturbed only by the children's sobs and Freddie's hushed moans, a loud howl of pain rang out from elsewhere. Anna gasped as she scampered over to the fence, rattling at the iron bars pointlessly, poor Seier's agonised cries drawing her to him. Of course, her efforts were futile - after a few seconds, the howls quietened, and All could only hope that Seier had stopped being abused, and not that alternative. But of course, the alternative could also be a blessing.

Odd tried to ignore the haunting sounds of the wolf, and instead, he looked down at his son in Elsa's arms, and frowned in a way which could make even a grown man cower, the determination in his eyes obvious - if only there was enough light to truly see it.

"We need to get out," He said slowly, his voice heavy and choked. "Freddie's arm will get infected easily in conditions like this - it's not healthy, and if he gets sick, he'll only get worse." He looked around the room, from the heavy wooden door - guarded by an additional iron gate - all around the walls, to the ceiling, but there was little of any value.

"We could dig out?" Anna suggested feebly, remaining slumped by the fences, not moving back to the group. But they all knew her suggestion was a lot cause; Odd shook his head slowly, making his mind pound in protest. "No," He said, "It'd be too obvious, a massive hole in the wall. It's not quick enough, either- a tunnel six, maybe seven metres deep would be very hard to dig."

The room was silent for a few seconds, and then Elsa piped up, whispering especially quietly as Freddie had, finally, fallen into a fitful sleep, "So, what should we do then?" She felt utterly hopeless as her husband took her son away from her, not knowing what on earth to do in this situation, without any magic to help her and her family escape. Odd, instead of answering her straight away, was busy laying Freddie in a wallow of straw which he'd made, before completely covering his body again in the material to try and keep him warmer. He'd left his injured arm out, though, and slightly elevated, to stop some of the blood loss even more, and to try to promote healing; the chances were, however, that the wound would be getting infected as early as right now.

"I don't know." Those fateful three words tugged at his heart as he said them, making him feel like he'd failed his family - but he couldn't let that happen.

He couldn't.

* * *

><p>Ayla grinned as she moved her Queen to F3. "Checkmate," She said, in a smug tone, and Hans frowns, looking frustrated that he'd lost s game of chess to his consort - he was the strategist, not her.<p>

As he opened his mouth to say something, Aula suddemly held up her hand. Er lips were a fine line for a few seconds, but then stretched into a grin.

"From my... Source in Arendelle," She began confidently, "It would seem that Queen Elsa is out of the way. We can begin phase two now."

Hans nodded quickly, and then rushed out of the room.

Oh, Arendelle wouldn't know what had hit them.

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><p><strong>Hey guys,<strong>

**First, sorry this wasn't quite updated on Friday, it's actually half past one o'clock on Saturday now (and I'm bloody exhausted, so i'll make this short).**

**Second, I forgot to add the words from last chapter, I'm sorry - they'll be in next week's update, promise!**

**Thirdly, I got less reviews than I expected last chapter - please please please review. Don't have the attitude "I'm sure someone else will", because everyone seems to be like that at the moment. :"( Just please, and itty bitty "I liked it" or "What a lousd of rubbish" is appreciated!**

**Happy valentines day!**

**Lots of love,**

**-(An exhausted) SG**


	10. Chapter 10 - dedicated to thorinii

_**As he opened his mouth to say something, Ayla suddenly held up her hand. Her lips were a fine line for a few seconds, but then stretched into a grin.**_

_**"From my... Source in Arendelle," She began confidently, "It would seem that Queen Elsa is out of the way. We can begin phase two now."**_

_**Hans nodded quickly, and then rushed out of the room.**_

_**Oh, Arendelle wouldn't know wha**__**t had hit them.**_

* * *

><p>"Here, give it here," Elsa murmured quietly, as she reached her hand out towards her sister, who was currently sitting in the darkness, groaning in frustration. She was frowning at the project she was holding in her hands, shifting around slightly to try and look at it in the sliver of light from above the door, but the poor illumination did little to help her figure out what had gone wrong. Reluctantly, annoyed that she couldn't work it out on her own, Anna handed over her craft.<p>

"Look," Elsa said softly, though her voice was slightly strained from her sore throat, irritated from breathing in the dank air. "You went wrong here. You missed out the fourth straw, so that's why it looks strange."

Moving her work into the sliver of light, Anna frowned at it, assessing it's current appearance; now that it had been fixed, it was quite a fair attempt at making a straw hat, considering that neither sister had ever attempted to make such a complex item. Elsa, however, had had more experience with the craft, having made a few patterns as a child, but always flat, never actually a 3D item, which was understandably more difficult. Anna, on the other hand, hadn't had so much practice, only ever plaiting her hair - or that of others - so she wasn't so confident at working with more than three strands.

"It's just so difficult in this darkness!" Anna growled out grumpily, as she tried to pick up with her work again, frowning as she tried to plait the straws. "I can hardly see a thing!" With a little huff of **indignation**, she threw down her project, leaning back against the soft, rotten wood which made up the walls of the cell, her arms crossed over her chest grumpily.

Sparing a glance towards her son quickly, to make sure Anna's louder-than-normal words hadn't awoken him from his already fitful sleep - which, at least, gave him some form of relief from his pain, and hopefully a chance to heal faster - and felt a small amount of relief when he still slept on, as did Thomas, who had fallen asleep about an hour ago. She sighed slightly as she watched her sister, and then placed her own craft down, for it had, admittedly, gotten rather dull by now, after what must have been at least two or three hours of doing it. There was simply nothing else to do.

Watching silently next to her Mother, Mia sat stiffly in the same position as she had been earlier, her knees drawn up to her chest, her eyes large and shining with fear. Though she'd been so young at the time, she could still remember the fuzzy memories of the beatings, the pain still there, not as brutal, but still strong enough to strike fear into her heart. Her **innocence** had been destroyed back then; she wouldn't misjudge these people, and they couldn't scare her either.

When her Mother stopped doing anything, in the end just sighing and giving in, closing her eyes for lack of anything better to do, Mia moved her gaze so that her eyes settled upon her younger sister; little Kari was also trying to learn how to plait, but on her own hair, not on pieces of straw. Similarly to Anna, she was looking utterly infuriated - though the darkness concealed some of her emotions - and Mia leaned over slowly to help her. Her body was stiff and reluctant to move, as if her limbs had simply given up, and had accepted the horrific truth that pain would be coming soon, no matter what, so what point was there in worrying? She couldn't do anything to stop it, so it was surely more productive to just enjoy - or rather, not stress out during - the periods of relief.

"Like this," She whispered, and placed her sore hands upon her sister's, guiding her to help her understand what to do, and then she drew back again. She winced slightly as she knocked her bloodied wrist, but again, it didn't make much of a difference to her; her body felt numb to pain in her terror, which had now morphed into a strangely more frightening sense of acceptance which blocked out all other thoughts. She didn't feel the fear anymore; didn't feel the **agony;** didn't feel the anger. She just felt the numbness.

She sighed as she tried to use her magic, scrunching up her eyes in concentration, but it was a poor attempt, and all she succeeded in doing was making the gloves feel slightly colder to the touch. In theory, she could quite easily pull off the restraints - no doubt she'd probably not notice the searing pain which would come as she ripped her skin - but she didn't even feel enough emotion to try it.

Numb.

Beside her, Kari groaned again as the plait she'd been making broke, and Mia sighed slightly as she went to help her out. Still, though, perhaps it was good that she was so hopeless at the moment with the skill; after all, she'd be trapped in here for quite a while, so she'd have plenty of time to **persevere** and perfect it. Unless, of course, they were all killed, which was probably fairly likely too. Honestly, she couldn't see why they'd want to keep them, so to her, it seemed likely that they were just there to be slaughtered.

It sickened her slightly that she could think such thoughts with barely a flicker of emotion, but her brain didn't seem to accept the knowledge, blocking it out, protecting her from feeling the pain and horror which she'd already experienced in her short life. It left her feeling so very, very calm, a feeling which terrified her, for she'd not been so relaxed in months; it was ironic that in what should be one of the most agitating circumstances, she was so fine.

Still, she was grateful that she didn't have to go through dread which she'd felt in the caves - she'd quite happily remain living in this desensitised existence, floating around in a state of peaceful numbness, rather than having to fear constantly.

Slowly, her movements akin to that of one who hadn't slept in days, slow and without much enthusiasm, Mia turned her head to look over to her Father and Uncle, who were sitting against the opposite wall together. They were talking in low voices, though it was easy to overhear them considering they were only about two metres away from her. The two were trying to make something, however though it wasn't too hard to hear their conversation, the light wasn't shining upon them, so she couldn't make out what it was they were actually trying to do, the blackness too thick to properly see through.

A loud bang resounded around the room suddenly, and the occupants jumped in shock, except for little Mia, who barely flinched, looking up sharply but reacting no more than that. Fredrik and Thomas shot awake from their light, disturbed **nightmare**-plagued sleep quickly, and soon after a loud moan sounded as the older prince's arm ached again, causing him great pain as he hit it on the soft walls. Elsa quickly reached out for him and pulled him closer to her body protectively, and his younger cousin crawled slowly, tiredly over to his Mother, his movements clumsy from his exhausted state. Odd and Kristoff tensed up immediately, and both shuffled across to position themselves in front of their wives and children, eyes sharp as they tried to protect them from danger.

Light flooded into the room, making Mia's eyes burn and she was forced to squint to see through the bright, unnatural glow of the flames flickering in the next room. Their warm, safe gleam was tempting to each of the prisoners, captivating them with a primal need for warmth, even in the case of the two who were resistant to the cold, and Anna found herself reaching out for it, as if she could reach it if she stretched far enough.

A man stepped into the room, his body casting a gloomy shadow across the cell again as he blocked out the flames' glow. Two others stepped up behind him, both as bulky, if not more-so, than he was, with tree trunks for arms, and tanks for bodies, strong and cold and unbreakable. Deadly. His eyes scanned the prisoners, and his lips spread in a smug grin which suggested that he knew of his dominance over the people before him.

The heavy wooden door closed with a muffled thud as one of the guards shut it, the light which had leaked in around their bodies now gone, the depressing sliver the only traces left. A horrid, harsh metallic sound came as the iron gate was slowly opened, and then the man stepped into the cell, his eyes glinting, visible even through the darkness.

"You," He said in a rough, deep voice which was not affected by the murky air in the room, which was, by now, considerably worse with the introduction of a children's toilet area, in the corner furthest away from the group. Mia and the adults had been able to manage, but sadly, poor Freddie, Thomas and Kari, at ages six and five, had not been able to last so long, and had had no choice but to go; thank Lord the straw soaked up at least some of the putrid smell. The guard scrunched up his nose as he got a whiff of the pungent stink, but carried on as he raised his hand, and pointed at Anna. "Come with me."

At first, Anna simply stared disbelievingly at the man, **paralysed** and not moving, trapped in a moment of time, until the guard shouted loudly and she began to stand. Kristoff stood up with her, stepping backwards to try to protect her from this threat, but even he, muscly as he was, was no match for the three strong men before him. Still, he didn't back down.

As Anna began to take a step forward, Elsa suddenly reacted without thinking; reaching up, she grabbed the hem of her sister's dress and pulled her back down rather forcibly, pushing Fredrik her way as she made her own attempt to stand, her legs shaking from not being used for hours, and from thirst and hunger. Kristoff remained standing as his sister-in-law got up, refusing to leave her alone, and now Odd rose up too, wishing he could stop her. He tried taking her hand, tried to pull her back to him, but to no avail; she roughly shook his hand away, not wanting to be gentle for fear it would break her resolve, and she stepped up to the guard, who was glaring daggers at her.

"I will go with you," She said in a monotonous voice, trying not to let her weak legs shake, for doing so could be interpreted as being fearful. The guard didn't look at all pleased with her offer.

"I asked for the girl-" He began, but Elsa took a step towards him quickly, flexing her fingers as if she were about to use magic, though she knew she couldn't.

"I will go." She repeated, her voice still as strong and firm as it had been a minute ago, but she could feel her nerve breaking under the man's watchful stare. He looked over to his companions questioningly, and they just grunted in affirmation, something which made Elsa feel a little better, for they sounded no more intelligent than cavemen. The man before her shrugged, and roughly took hold of her wrist, a painful sign of his reluctant agreement with her proposal that left her crying out quickly in pain, and she had to bite back a second yell when she saw her husband trying to reach her. As the metal gate was shut again with the torturous sound which left everyone's ears ringing, she turned back to her family and gave them one last, reassuring smile, hoping they'd see it in the light that now flooded the room as the wooden down was opened, and then she was roughly thrown out into the main chamber, and the door was slammed shut again.

She remained on the floor for a few seconds, and in that time, she knew that Odd had broken, and from the loud, **persistent** rattles coming from inside the room, he was trying to tear down the iron fence. She felt slightly flattered at the affirmation of his love for her - and the rest of her family's love for her, too - but wished he would stop. From her treatment even now, any trouble was sure to result in a beating, or worse.

In the room next to the one she'd just been in, Elsa could hear quiet whines of pain, and muffled bleats and whinnies of the animals, and she longed to go and see to them. Poor Seier must have been in agony after his foot injury, and she wished she could help him, but she also knew she couldn't.

"Move, Witch!" The guard behind her snarled as she stopped to stare, and Elsa felt herself kicked roughly forward into the room opposite hers, where the guards from before quickly locked her in. She frowned in panic as she realised that she was completely trapped, alone, with these men now circling her like hawks, waiting for her to keel over and die. Nervously, feeling **insecure**, she sat down stiffly on a small sofa which must have belonged to Eva before her home was taken over, and her sharp blue eyes scanned the room for any tools which could aid in an escape.

Of course, there was nothing.

"Now, Witch," The guard spat out, as his own eyes bored deep into hers. "How much do you know about what is going on?"

Elsa felt herself shiver involuntarily under his cruel gaze, and knew that he'd have picked up on the fact, and that he'd be finding great pleasure that he'd made her react. She kicked herself mentally, and vowed not to do it again. "Nothing," She spat at him, knowing that her disrespectfulness towards him would surely only rile him up, but she wouldn't let herself be submissive either. She sat up straighter, trying to look proud and strong, while in truth she felt neither thing.

"Well, allow me to enlighten you." The guard drawled out. "You are here, because we need your blood, and if you think, I'm sure you'll understand what, exactly, we need it for." Elsa kept her composure cool, though she could feel her palms beginning to sweat. "Oh, yes, yes, I can see it in your eyes. You know exactly where this is going, don't you?"

Elsa glared as she nodded stiffly, quickly speaking before the guard could speak again. "My blood is of no use to you." She snapped back, "So you must have some anterior motive driving you on."

The guard nodded, seemingly impressed with her perceptiveness. "Right you are, Queenie." He replied, "Your blood is of no use to us. Your offspring, however..." He let his voice trail enough, and Elsa's heart plummeted through her chest like a sinking rock. The guard savoured her horrified expression for a minute, before continuing. "Your expression, dear Queen, is priceless, but worry not; we shan't be taking your son, nor your niece and nephew either. We need bargaining chips, you see, and they're perfect. Their lives, for your complacency."

Elsa tried to keep her voice steady as she replied, but a small slip did manage to come out of her mouth. "A-And the animals? Our husbands?"

The guard shrugged. "Bargaining chips, again," He commented, "But they can do work too; you'll have to go back and tell them this. They'll be summoned to go out hunting, or gathering firewood, or something, and they'll have no choice to return, because we'll kill you off, one by one, if they don't."

_Such a foolproof plan_, Elsa thought savagely, annoyed that people so incapable of love could still appreciate what people would do for it. It was then, as she thought about love, and the love she held for her family, that something struck her. "And my sister amd nieces? What are their roles?" She clenched her jaw as she awaited the inevitable response, hoping the earth would just swallow her up so she didn't have to face the truth she'd now picked up on.

"Breeding stock, of course." The man replied, a sadistic grin on his face. "But don't worry; we won't breed little Mia or Kari until they're old enough to birth a child. We're not entirely heartless."

Elsa's face was a mask of horror. "So what are we, sheep now? You're going to breed us like sheep, then slaughter our children like lambs for the dinner table!"

The guard put on a show of surprise. "Why, of course not." He said in mockery of her own horror, but he suddenly grew serious again at Elsa's disapproving look. "Okay, yes, you're basically very-valuable sheep, so quit your bleating and just be quiet." He frowned as he looked towards the warm fire crackling in a fireplace. "You'll tell your family this, remember, and you'll also tell them this; once a day, a guard will come to collect you, one at a time, to go outside to relieve yourself. If a single one of you runs away, another will die. If they return with help, everyone dies. Got it?"

Elsa nodded stiffly at this new news, feeling weak at the threat. "If your little brats need to go in the meantime, we've given you a bucket. Be grateful, or it'll go again." He frowned, thinking. "Now, there was one more thing, I'm sure, if I could just remember..." He said slowly, and then stood up. "Oh, yes, how silly of me to have forgotten!" His voice was a play on sweet innocence, and it only served to make him sound even more deadly. Elsa felt her palms grow even more sweaty inside the gloves, and she strained to get her magic to work past the fabric, but the effort was excruciating; she saw a single, lonely snowflake float down from the ceiling, just as her legs and arms were roughly pinned down by the two brutes who had been guarding the door.

"Do you want to know what I forgot, Queen Elsa?" He asked, and she shook her head in fear, terrified at being so trapped. "Well, I'd like to tell you. I forgot to give you and your family a warning, didn't I? Can't have you getting any ideas."

It came before she was even ready; a searing, mind-blowing pain on her shoulder blade, burning the skin, leaving her writhing and screaming in absolute agony. A read-hot steel shape was roughly pushed down upon her poor back, and as she fought with all her might, the pain only got worse. She was given a second's respite when the metal was reheated, in which she could feel her bubbling skin tearing and breaking, and she screamed again even before the metal was re-applied. Her should was ablaze with fiery agony, and her nerves were shot as she struggled to get free, her already raw throat only making her hurt more as the cries tore from her lips in audible waves of torture.

Even after the steel was removed, Elsa continued to writhe and scream and fight, her mind overcome by the pain, instinct kicking in and telling her to attack back. Her eyes were wild with terror, a truly primal fear shining in them, a need to survive.

The guards came to deal with her quickly after, picking her up kicking and screaming, dragging her along the dirt back to the room, where she was roughly shoved inside. She let out a cry of fury as the pain grew even greater, and then she collapsed on the straw, suddenly too weak to fight, ending up a sobbing mess on the thin straw floor.

* * *

><p><strong>A very intense chapter, I'm sorry for posting late - mind you, I expect you all hate me for doing this anyway, so either way I'm in the dog-house, so to speak.<strong>

**Ahaa, it's funny - when I was young and delusional a few years ago, I was foolish enough to hope Disney might take inspiration from my story for a second Frozen - Then I look at how much darker this series has progressively gotten as it went on, and... Yeah. I don't think it's really suitable for younger frozen audiences anymore. **

**Pah well - I'm still quite proud, and I hope you guys still enjoy it too!**

**With special thanks to:**

**Pabulover123**

**Klime (guest)**

**WildVirus (guest)**

**OmegaMarker**

**Summer loving snowman**

**thorinii**

**I couldn't have written this chapter without your support guys, I've head a hectic half term (50+ animals take a while to look after) so I needed the kind words I'm your reviews.**

**I'd love to see some more reviewers next chapter, so hey, here's a question:**

**Using the hot steel was a method of branding Elsa, to both humiliate and torture her. What shape / word do you think the mark should be?**

**(And help would be great, because I can't decide)**

**I love you all, so please don't kill me for this!**

**-SG**


	11. Chapter 11- dedicated to Ratchet McCloud

_**Even after the steel was removed, Elsa continued to writhe and scream and fight, her mind overcome by the pain, instinct kicking in and telling her to attack back. Her eyes were wild with terror, a truly primal fear shining in them, a need to survive.**_

_**The guards came to deal with her quickly after, picking her up kicking and screaming, dragging her along the dirt back to the room, where she was roughly shoved inside. She let out a cry of fury as the pain grew even greater, and then she collapsed on the straw, suddenly too weak to fight, ending up a sobbing mess on the thin straw floor.**_

* * *

><p>"Elsa!" Odd's relieved cry was loud in the small room, though it was barely more than a whisper, as he rushed over to help his poor wife, who was still writhing in agony. Anna and Kristoff came closer too, although the children stayed behind, watching fearfully, except for Mia who simply wore a look of understanding and deep sorrow on her face. Nothing was truly registering in her brain, but it was possibly better that way.<p>

Elsa moaned quietly as she thrashed about still wildly on the floor, completely out of control, her thoughts taken over by a primitive need to escape from the danger. As her family grew closer, warily, careful to avoid her flailing limbs, they could quickly tell what had happened from the faint smell of cooked meat; Anna gasped and began to sob along with her sister, while Kristoff remained absolutely horrified, and Odd bared his teeth, his hands clenched in rage.

It was at least half an hour before anyone could even get to Elsa once she'd finally began to calm down, the pain still torturous, but she'd at least stopped fighting. Odd was the first to approach her, gently placing his hands under her shoulders and lifting her up into a sitting position, to which she let out a yelp of pain as he accidentally brushed against her now red-raw skin, and he quickly backed up a little, in case he scared her any more, because he accepted that she'd obviously be jumpy after the ordeal. His heart ached, though, at now being able to comfort her any.

Anna came over slowly and she whispered quietly to her, gently. "Come on, Elsa," she said in a soft voice, "Come this way, so that we can see what's wrong." She offered her sister a hand, and helped guide her over to the sliver of light which crept in over the top of the door. She paused her there, and then she gasped even louder at what she saw. Kristoff and Odd came over too, and both were sickened that anyone could have done this to her.

"What is it?" Elsa whispered slowly, before coughing quietly. Kristoff shook his head, signifying that he had no clue, and Odd just muttered, "It looks like symbols, or something." Anna, however, frowned, and then seemed to notice something.

"Not symbols - they look like old runes," She said in a raspy voice, but her face was held in a frown. "I don't actually know-" She coughed for a second, before continuing. "Know how to read runes, though - Papa didn't see the need to teach me as a kid." She cleared her throat after speaking so much, the rough air attacking her throat, and she frowned as she tried to get the soreness to heal.

"That's because he... taught me. Describe them... please?" Elsa whispered nervously, with shaking hands and a quiet voice laced with pain as she spoke. The three adults with her looked at each other in concern, unwilling to cause her any emotional hurt to go with the physical agony of the burn, but Odd eventually gave in when his wife looked at him hopefully; though he couldn't understand how knowing what it said would ease her mind, he finally gave in, hoping that the knowledge would soothe her, because he knew how much not understanding could eat away at someone.

"The first, it's... it's sort of like a mix between a H and an N." He said slowly, coughing as the air ravaged his own throat - and thinking savagely that they'd probably end up wearing the skin of their throats raw from all the pressure. After he'd finished clearing his throat, Elsa nodded slowly, showing that she understood as she whispered that it was, indeed, the letter 'H'.

Odd looked over to Anna and Kristoff next, hoping they'd take over while he gave his own throat a rest, and the latter took over, for he hadn't been subject to the horrid air as of yet.

"The next one looks like an M," he said in a scratchy voice, though he didn't need to cough yet, luckily. Elsa nodded, and waited for him to continue. "And the next one looks like a C, made of two straight lines."

Anna quickly cut in here, pointing out that it was actually the same as a 'greater than' mathematical sign, before she finished off, saying that the last symbol was like an S, made of three straight lines.

"Thank you," Elsa whispered as she thought about what the others had said, and then her heart fell when she finished the translation. She let her head drop down slightly, as she hung it in shame and refused to make a sound.

"Elsa..." Anna whispered fearfully, not sure whether she wanted to really know what it said. "Please, speak to us?"

There was a pause before Elsa could find the words and the courage to speak. "It's a mockery of me, teasing." She said slowly, with even more pained words. "The runes are a disguise- they are hiding the truth. It's basically saying that no matter how things _seem,_ the truth is ... though the runes seem artistic and nice, but their meaning isn't... isn't so nice." She took a breath, and then let it out quickly, as another tear leaked from the corner of her eye. "It's relating to my magic. Even if people accept it, it doesn't hide the fact that it's still evil."

Anna shook her head in frustration. "Elsa, you know as well as I that you aren't even remotely evil." She said firmly. "What do the runes say?"

Elsa shook her head, the truth of what hid in the symbols hurting her, but the words slipped out of her mouth anyway. "Heks," She whispered in her Norwegian tongue. She repeated a second later, slightly louder, shaking more and more as she believed it more and more. "_Witch_."

Odd frowned more at those words, shaking his head in frustration, as he banged it against the soft wooden wall behind him in anger. His fists clenched together tightly as he let out a low growl of annoyance, before Elsa gently touched her hand to his to calm him down, before quickly jerking away.

"It's fine, Odd." She whispered painfully, as she looked away towards the door of the cell, so that she couldn't see any of her family. "It's true; I'm dangerous. I'm a monster. Always have been."

Odd huffed. "It's no good if you let them get to you, Elsa," He said quickly, coughing once before continuing. "You're not a monster, and you _never_ have been. Even when you froze Arendelle, you weren't a monster; you were just naïve because your parents hadn't helped you learn to control your powers."

Elsa opened her mouth to complain, but this time, Kristoff cut her off. "There's no point trying to argue that you are, Elsa." He said slowly. "There are two people on either side of me who-" A cough, before he continued. "Who have absolutely crazy stubborn streaks - Odd not quite so much, but still - and they know you're not dangerous. And so do I, or I wouldn't let Anna sit so close to you."

The said princess huffed quietly in annoyance that her husband would control her so much, even if it was for her safety, but then she realised she should say something too. "Elsa, your powers are amazing, and you know it! Besides, how can they be all that dangerous, when you've struck me twice and both times I've come out unscathed?"

"I nearly killed you, Anna. Twice." She whispered quietly, and her gloves began to grow cold from her magic, though no snow or ice erupted around the room. Anna frowned, and then reached out, slapping her sister's cheek scoldingly, but not hard enough to be painful, more of a shock than anything, for the poor Queen was undoubtedly in enough agony as it was with her shoulder.

"Oh, stop it, Elsa." The Princess snapped, suddenly getting annoyed, not in a harsh voice, but not as sweet and gentle as before. "Stop shifting into your old mindset with every. Single. Tiny. Critique! You're not dangerous, and you never were - we all just didn't understand. It was _my_ fault, our parents' fault, even the Kingdom's fault, but not yours; our parents locked you away, I was the one that pushed you at your coronation, the Duke declared you to be a Monster, and our people just accepted it." She coughed loudly after her long rant, and her little fit didn't end for almost ten, maybe fifteen seconds. When it did, her voice was weaker, but they still held some of the firmness of before. "Your magic is beautiful, Elsa, and you're in control now, so stop being so ridiculous! Hmm?"

Elsa frowned at her sister's words, shocked at her sudden outburst. She didn't say anything in response, and Anna decided to try a different tactic.

"What about Mia? What about my daughter?" She demanded in a scratchy voice, "Is _she_ dangerous? Is _she_ a monster?"

Elsa's eyes widened in shock, as she stuttered nervously, "No, no, of course not-" in a broken voice. Anna grinned triumphantly.

"But you said it yourself, Elsa, when she was born - she'll be stronger than you some day. She probably is already, so surely if you're a Monster, then so is she?" Elsa felt nervous as she tried to think of a way to respond, and in the back of the small room, Mia's eyes widened as she whimpered, her previous numbness wearing off as her own Mother seeming criticised her. Anna felt her heart ache when she heard, but she hoped that she'd be able to make her see that she didn't actually mean it after the conversation; right now, she just had to get her sister to see sense again.

"Mia never froze her Kingdom, though." Elsa replied unsurely, and Kristoff was the first to offer a response to her meek argument.

"But then, Mia wasn't locked away for years, so she never had the chance to grow truly terrified of her powers." He said in a gentle, though scratchy, voice.

"Not to mention you managed to thaw an entire Kingdom in seconds, if what Anna told me was correct, and no one was hurt." Odd pointed out as well, and Kristoff nodded.

"Except Hans." The older Princess pointed out, and Odd chuckled.

"Except Hans, and let's face it, no one cares about him." He amended his original statement.

Elsa smiled weakly at the comment, finally beginning to calm down again at her family's support. However, she frowned as her shoulder began to twinge more than a second ago, and her eyes shut tightly in pain as a fresh wave of burning agony overtook her body, a moan escaping her lips at the additional torture. Anna was quickly by her side again, holding her hand gently as she tried to calm her down, but Odd stayed where he was, frowning in both concern and thought. His mind wandered to what Anna had said about Mia being quite possibly stronger than Elsa, and his emerald eyes sparkled lightly through the darkness as he got an idea.

"Mia?" He called in a soft, though slightly rough, voice, and the young princess approached slowly, looking at him quietly.

"Yes, Uncle?" She asked in her small voice, and Odd softly pulled her closer to him, rubbing her back gently to try and calm her down, mistaking her silence for nerves, but she was still feeling the numb sense of acceptance she had before.

"Do you reckon you can try to use your powers for me, Sweetie?" He said gently, and the request did succeed in getting a little surprised and uncertain reaction out of her. Still though, she nodded slowly, as she scrunched up her face in concentration and tried to bring force her magic, visualising gentle snow falling gently from the ceiling, but when that failed, she tried to focus on creating a raging snowstorm in the room, but still to no avail. She gasped after perhaps twenty seconds, maybe a little more, but the only sign of any success was that her sewn-on gloves had gone almost-icy cold; this was, however, good enough for Odd, who gave a vague grin of triumph.

Carefully, he squeezed Elsa's hand softly. "This is going to hurt," He warned, as he beconned for Mia to come over, and as he locked his fingers with her - with Anna softly stroking the back of her other hand softly to reassure and comfort her too. Mia called up her powers again with a little difficulty as she came forward, then timidly came forward and rested her hands upon the general area of her Aunt's burn. As Elsa flinched away, she jerked back a little too, and Kristoff had to gently ease her hands back onto the red-raw skin as she began to feel a few nerves.

It was a few agonising minutes before the Queen finally began to stop twitching from pain, and eventually, she sighed in relief as the coolness of Mia's gloves soothed the burn. She let a tiniest smile of relief settle on her face, and when she turned around, she pulled her niece into a weak, one armed hug, careful not to move her injured shoulder too much.

"Thank you, Mi." She whispered gently, though her throat was not only scratchy now from the air, but incredibly dry from thirst. Still, she tried to ignore this, hoping her captors would have the decency to give them some food and water soon, and allow them outside for a quick stretch of the legs, and a hurried toilet break.

She looked up slowly, suddenly realising the task she now had at hand.

"I've got some news." She said cautiously, and coughed a little, actually grateful for the seconds it took to put it off slightly. "And you're not going to like it."

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><p><strong>It's crazy - I've been rereading Frozen Powers I, going through it for mistakes etc so that I can post it to W<strong>**attpad, and I never realised quite how much less dark it is than its sequels... Wow. It's so weird, but it's quite nice, going through it and realising how much stuff I forgot about. Like, does anyone remember that Anna had to go to Corona to take the King and Queen's place when they died, because Rapunzel and Eugene were missing? I certainly didn't recall that!**

**Also, there's currently a 'Disney Fanfiction Award 2015' being hosted by a person on the wattpad website (if you search 'Disney Fanfic Awards' in Google it'll probably be there) so if anyone happens to have a Wattpad account, or has free time to make one, I'd appreciate any votes for my story! But only if you think it's worth a vote, though!**

**Another thing, I'm making a promotional video for the series to post onto youtube, and I was wondering if anyone could make some art for me to include in the video? It doesn't have to be amazing, and you don't have to do loads - whether it's just one, or more, I don't mind. The only thing I will say is that it must good enough so that people can recognise what it is (so, if it's Seier, it can't really look like a giraffe...)**

**If anyone can help out, I'll be so grateful, and I'll make a list of everyone who does on the video and here!**

**One last thing, Jealouswayward is writing a fanfic for this fanfic about Seth - keep an eye out for it!**

**Love y'all!**

**-SG**


	12. Chapter 12 - dedicated to OmegaMarker

_**"Thank you, Mi." She whispered gently, though her throat was not only scratchy now from the air, but incredibly dry from thirst. Still, she tried to ignore this, hoping her captors would have the decency to give them some food and water soon, and allow them outside for a quick stretch of the legs, and a hurried toilet break.**_

_**She looked up slowly, suddenly realising the task she now had at hand.**_

_**"I've got some news." She said cautiously, and coughed a little, actually grateful for the seconds it took to put it off slightly. "And you're not going to like it."**_

* * *

><p>The soft colours of the near-midday sun, deep oranges and yellows of many different hues, gently painted the cottages and the castle of the Kingdom, the delicate rays licking at the fields surrounding them, colouring them in golden shades of strength and prosperity. The crisp air was akin to that of the morning chill, though whispers of warmth floated across on the gentle wind.<p>

Down in the villages, people milled about in their little flocks, going about their chores cheerfully as they worked together on the common goal of celebration. The date: February the seventh, and though not a day of much significance to the rest of the world, it was one of great jubilation for the occupants of the Southern Isles; it signalled the start of the recovery of their nation which, once a strong and powerful place, had since fallen from grace after the attack of Arendelle.

The people were, understandably, still furious about it. As far as they knew, Queen Elsa and her ships had come attacking to take back their youngest Princess, who at the time, had been just two years of age, and was in the care of the Southern Isles, after Hans had "rescued" her from being abused and tortured. He and Ayla had spread the knowledge that it had been little Mia's family who'd been the ones to organise the beating of her - when in truth it had been them - and so the people believed Arendelle had been taking the child back, only to abuse her more. It had certainly gained them a poor reputation among the people of the Southern Isles.

It had been Ayla - now better known as the Princess - who had saved them from being "completely assassinated by the wicked Queen of Arendelle", as Hans would put it in a speech later on, informing the confused people what had happened. She'd been weak and Elsa had very nearly defeated her, something which she would later go on to openly tell her people, to show how determined Arendelle was to overthrow the Southern Isles, even though this had never been their ambitions anyway; still, it had gained her the people's support after she'd made "the Dome", as it had become known - the giant shield of magic, which had concealed the entire kingdom for years. It had hidden them from view, stopping any entry or exit from the country and completely removing them from the map, too; it had left their actions completely concealed from the rest of the world, so that they could do whatever they liked within their land, and no one would know of it.

Even planning for war.

It had been on this day, six years ago, that Ayla had awoken from her coma, which she'd fallen into after she'd exhausted her magic reserves creating _The Dome_. It had been a rough month for the people; along with the protection, the magical shield had brought with it a great heat wave, not unlike Elsa's winter in the middle of summer, except it was the reverse. There had been a massive shortage of water, and the stored crops had shrivelled and quickly gone bad. If that hadn't been bad enough, at least fifty people had perished from heart failures over that horrid month, and it was only Hans' speech to the people which prevented people from rebelling. He had pointed out that if Ayla hadn't removed Elsa by force with _the Dome_, then that witch would have killed every last person who stood in her way.

This point did quell the rising tension for revolution, at least, but it didn't improve the situation; it wasn't until the day when Ayla awoke that things began to look up. She'd been able to stabilise the weather in the Dome with her magic the same day - though she was still feeling weak so it had taken a few days to really come into affect properly - and that had signalled the start of a more prosperous future for the kingdom; Hans and Ayla had married, and the people had accepted them as the rulers of the kingdom (though they had to work alongside the King and Queen to get laws passed, which wasn't so hard, because Hans wasn't afraid to threaten them if they refused).

Also, with the help of Ayla's magic, which, within the month, had all but replenished itself, they'd been able to increase each worker's productivity and develop more efficient tools to work with. The food situation was sorted within a few months too; while Ayla didn't have strength enough to provide food for each person, she had it in her to help the crops grow much faster than normal, for the climate inside _the Dome_ had meant that it was more like summer than winter.

It was now, on the anniversary of that day, that people now celebrated the start of the recovery of their once-great kingdom, and the promise that the future held better things in store for them. It had originally just been a one-year-anniversary event, but it had turned into an annual holiday, lasting over two days. On the first, street parties littered the villages, with food of incredible quantities to share among each other, and an atmosphere of general happiness was present anywhere one went. People were also busy preparing for the following day, when hundreds of balls - a large one in the castle for the nobles of the land, and smaller ones in church halls for all the villages in the Kingdom - were to be held, the highlight of the holiday.

At present, Ayla herself was down in the villages, helping out with the arrangements, getting friendly with the people as she helped to repair old dresses which needed a little love and care, and helping with the cooking of cakes and dishes for the lunch, which was to be served up in just an hour and a half. It had originally been Hans' proposal that she should go down to help, to improve her popularity; Ayla agreed happily, pointing out that he had to look after Seth in her absence, what with the servants all getting ready for the ball the following day.

To say that he hadn't been utterly overjoyed was an understatement.

Still, despite his best efforts, Ayla had refused to remain behind after the suggestion that she should mingle, and so, much to his dismay, the Prince had been left behind with his rather irritating little brat of a son at the castle. It wouldn't have been quite so bad if the boy wasn't so annoying - Hans had, at the start, tried to be willing and open-minded, but after playing hide-and-seek for half an hour with a chameleon-child, he quickly lost his patience.

Eventually, Hans had resigned to simply watching over Seth, taking him out to the castle grounds - for it was a rather warm winter's day - and settling down in the corner of the courtyard, spreading out a hand of solitaire.

Seth watched with interest as the rounds passed, silently watching his father's moves, trying to work out how to play so that he could help out, eager to win Hans' approval. He grinned as he saw him placing down a King on top of its Queen, waiting until after he'd moved it to another pile and turned over the previous top card before he made a move; reaching over, he tried to place down an ace of hearts on top, expecting it to work, but he only ended up whimpering under Hans's stern glare. The older Prince roughly picked it up and placed it in a trash pile, before frowning at his son.

"Don't interfere unless you have something useful to contribute, Seth." He said strictly, though his voice didn't hold the usual malice which it normally contained, for which the young boy was grateful. "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, that you can't play like that! Never go backwards, only forwards."

Seth nodded obediently as he shrunk back, trying to focus even harder to impress the ever-criticising man before him/

_Maybe he's not my real Father, _Seth thought slowly to himself, sighing as he watched him playing the game without him. _But he's all I've got. _As he sat still, he found his mind wandering to Ayla, too. _Perhaps all parents are like this with their children? Surely they must... why would Hans and Ayla take me in if they didn't care for me? They must love me, and yet they treat me this way, so this must be the way loving parents treat their child. Maybe they're just... _He paused for a moment, trying to think of an excuse while he watched Hans place down another card alone.

_They must just be trying to encourage my independence - Lord knows I know how important it is to not trust anyone, apart from those of undoubtable loyalty. They're just looking out for me by making sure I can look out for myself. _

He smiled at the thoughts that Hans and Ayla must love him, but it wasn't easy to convince himself of the statement as he overheard the gleeful shouts of the children outside the castle, happy and free.

He studied the solitaire board closely, and then his face lit up in a grin as he hurriedly placed down the ace of hearts from earlier down upon a two of spades, and a three of hearts. He then moved it across the a black four, and turned up the card from the previous row, grinning when he saw how fortunate it was. Reaching out, he snatched up a Queen of hearts from the top of the deck, and placed it down roughly. Hans chuckled in amusement, with tiny hints of pride.

"Well done, Seth." He said plainly, but the boy didn't need the tone to get the message across - that Hans had spoken those words to him meant that he had to be important in some ways. "Maybe you're not quite such a waste of space after all." He nodded at the boy to convey his pride, and Seth beamed back in response, but inside his heart ached, and he quickly turned camouflaged, wanting to hide.

_Did he really think I was a waste of space?_

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><p><strong>Okay, another light chapter, and a short one at that - I'm sorry. This week's been manic with A-level choices, going to check out work experience places, etc. So, sorry, but next chapter will be back to the dark scenes (maybe) that we all love to hate!<strong>

**Right now, I'm exhausted (I need to stop leaving updates to the last minute) so I'm off to bed.**

**Please R&R, and check out JealousWayward's new story about Seth if you get a minute! And I'm still looking for any artists, all help's appreciated (and you'll get linked to your page on the trailer)**

**-SG **


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